Published on : Wednesday, February 14, 2018
The wetlands of Liberia, particularly those lying in and around coastal urban areas are in danger as a result of the pressure of rising population and human activity.
Urban wetlands are necessary in making cities habitable and simultaneously contribute in developing water quality and green spaces in cities, John K. Jallah, Jr., Environmental Protection Agency assistant manager in the Environmental Research and Standards Department, has said.
Over the weekend, Jallah made the declaration in Monrovia at the time of World Wetlands Day, held under the theme: “Save The Wetlands, Save The Future.” It was followed by a cleaning campaign in the Slipway community, an indoor program, and a proclamation.
He stated that wetlands provide numerous benefits to human communities: they assist in endorsing human well being. Side by side, wetlands can be a solution for the imminent water crisis in different cities.
Besides, wetlands can act as major sources in terms of livelihood by luring tourists according to him. To quote him, “Wetlands truly make cities livable when they are considered properly in city planning.”
But he observed that all of the above mentioned advantage may not be achieved in case there is any wetland harm through unmanageable pollution, deprivation, and destruction.
He called the cities to turn to sustainability against such future crisis. Jallah emphasized the requirement to work in tandem as community dwellers in terms of restoring and safeguarding urban wetlands for the improvement of Liberia, saying, “It is important to know the benefits wetlands provide, particularly to urban cities like Monrovia.”
“Wetlands help with flood control, buffers against storm surges and tsunamis; the green vegetation acts as a filter for domestic and industrial waste. Wetlands have immense amounts of ecological value encompassing their ecosystem services (functions), range of biodiversity they possess, and endangered species that are threatened with extinction,” he said.
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