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Liberia: Liberia's Landscape Is Vulnerable To Desertification -Environmental Expert Sounds Warning
Jun 8, 2006
by Michael Kpayili / Staff Writer
 

The Executive Director of the environmental protection Agency (EPA) in Liberia, Mr. Henry Williams has sound out warning to the vulnerability of Liberia's landscape to desertification and emphasized that immediate step must be taken to advert disastrous situation. The EPA Boss was speaking over the week during a program marking the occasion of World Environmental Day (WED) at the Monrovia city hall.

Mr. Williams said his organization would also work alongside other international organization including the United Nations Development Program(UNDP) to lunch National desertification Fund(NDF) to enhance desertification mitigation in Liberia. The Executive Director who spoke on the theme: "Don't Desert Dry land" expressed fear about the aftermath of desertification and further stressed out that it hampers human existence and economic growth.

Mr. Williams said in order to mitigate desertification in Liberia, the government of Liberia first need to arrest desertification, Land use including farming and grazing must be environmentally accepted, socially accepted, fair and economically feasible to meet present day reality.

The EPA Executive Director made several recommendation to the government including the adoption of national sustainable land use, plans and management of water resources and the protection of indigenous spices. He also maintained his organizational support to promoting government work towards forestation, reforestation, rural agriculture development and sustainable alternative livelihood development among others.

Also speaking during the world environment day program, the Minister of Lands, Mines and Energy, Dr. Euegene Shannoh stressed that desertification causes drought and serious economic hardship and deprive people of land cultivation for survival. Dr. Shannoh linked the cause of desertification to the large spread of poverty in Liberia.

The program was marked by speeches and gear towards warning people about the protection of the environment and danger it poses in ignoring such advise.

 

About the Author:
Michael Kpayili is a staff writer for TheLiberianTimes.com. Kpayili has written articles which have appeared on TheLiberianTimes.com since late 2005, and his hard hitting investigative journalism has earned the respect of the Liberian press community.

Michael Kpayili may be contacted at mkpayili@theliberiantimes.com.