Monrovia – The Green Consultancy Inc. in partnership with the Continuum Social Environmental Services has released a report on Liberia title: Second State of the Environment Report (SOER) covering the period of 2007-2018.
The report was released at a one-day inception workshop held at the Corina Hotel in Monrovia on Monday, September 10,2018 under the theme: “Second State of Environment Report Covering 2007-2018 And National Environmental Action Plan Covering 2019-2023”.
The report highlights issues affecting waters, forests, soil and climate and provides a comprehensive assessment of environmental issues in the country, while the National Environmental Action Plan (NEAP) identifies areas of key priority for actions by relevant government institutions.
Giving the background of the report, the Manager for Planning and Policy at the Environmental Protection Agency, Z. Elijah Whapoe said part XI, Section 103 of the environmental management law title: State of the environment report state that the agency shall every 5 years publish the report on the state of the environment.
In addition, the report shall prescribe, specify the main activities of the agency and line ministries regarding the protection of the environment.
He added that Section 82,83 of the agency (EPA) provide for the protection and conservation of biodiversity among other things.
Whapoe noted that the first attempt on the state of environment report was made in 2001 through the financial support of UNDP under the project: “Strengthening the National Environmental Commission of Liberia” (NECOLIB).
“The need to complete the State of the Environment Report was rekindled at the Seminar on the Environment in Liberia held in July 2004 through the joint efforts of the Environmental Protection Agency of Liberia (EPA) and UNDP. The First SOE was completed and published in 2006,” he noted.
Also speaking, Assistant Minister for Urban Affairs at the Ministry of Internal Affairs, Abubakar Bahn said maintaining the environment is very crucial and important to the development of any nation.
“Once we do not prioritize the environment, we are endangering our own path, and so taking serious actions and maintaining the environment is important,” he said.
Minister Bah noted that the report is significant to the development of the country and it is about time for national government to take strong measures to protect the environment.
“Image from 1992 to now, we shouldn’t be talking about the second report, we should be talking about many reports, at least six reports. But it means that there is a serious challenge whether the resources or the man power. It also means that we are starting on a good footing,” Minister Bah added.
At the same time, the Executive Director of the Environmental Protection Agency, Nathaniel Blama added that the state of environment report is a requirement set by law to be conducted in the country after every five years.
“The last state of environment report was done 12 years ago and since then, we are not able to do anything due to the lack of funding or financial support from government,” he noted.
Director Blama added that the action plan will also focus on activities or measures to safe guard the environment.
“The action will also look at what can we do now, activities that we can undertake to safe guard the environment. This report, when it is completed it will be validated by all f us and it will be a national document that we all will be proud of,” Blama said.