MONROVIA Prof. Wilson K. Tarpeh is the Executive Director of EPA Liberia. He told a Monrovia gathering that late Liberia’s coastal and marine environments are rapidly deteriorating due to increased population pressures and illegal economic activities.
Prof. Tarpeh spoke at the beginning of a week-long training course on Fisheries Management & Integrated Coastal Zone Management. He stated that climate change will have a significant impact on climate-sensitive sectors like agriculture, fisheries, health, and many other areas. This will lead to food insecurity, increased water vector-borne diseases, a decline in fish stock, and flooding of coastal communities and cities.
The training is coordinated by the EPA, the Africa Centre of Excellence in Coastal Resilience Project of the Centre for Coastal Management and funded by the World Bank and University of Cape Coast.
Prof. Tarpeh invited the University of Cape Coast Africa Centre of Excellence in Coastal Resilience Project of Centre for Coastal Management to facilitate the training.
It is intended for building the capacity of relevant ministries, institutions and experts in the management, protection, and research of the country’s coastal ecosystem and resources.
Prof. Tarpeh further stated that climate change impacts could negatively affect any country’s human development and make it difficult to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals.
He explained that despite climate change’s impacts on coastal fisheries and coastal areas, the EPA continues to conduct vulnerability and adaptation assessments to determine the severity of the impacts and to identify the most appropriate adaptation actions to ensure these sectors are resilient.
Tarpeh stated that the National Fisheries and Aquaculture Authority will continue to make every effort to ensure sustainable fisheries management. They will distribute appropriate fishing nets and monitor small and large trawlers.
He stated that adaptation actions are still at the forefront of the EPA’s agenda to combat the rising tide of coastal erosion within and outside Monrovia.
The EPA Boss stated that the Monrovia Metropolitan Climate Resilence Project’s recent inception workshop is crucial to begin work to save West Point, Monrovia, from coastal erosion. Additionally, the Greenville, Sinoe County Coastal Project approval is another action to protect Liberia’s shoreline.
Prof. explained that another project, the Blue Ocean Project, is also aimed at addressing a clean, safe marine habitat in some coast cities, sustainable fisheries management, and addressing the livelihoods of some of our fishermen communities.
He stated that training is important because Liberia has nine of her fifteen county as coastal counties, and is greatly affected by the adverse effects of climate change.
However, EPA places great importance on this training. It not only helps with traditional ocean industries like fishing, aquaculture, and tourism, but also encourages young people to consider getting involved in research and sustainable ocean resource use for economic growth.
He stated that the partnership is key to us at the EPA as the lead government organization that is charged with the sole authority to the superintendent for the affairs of environment of course with sectoral cooperation.
He concluded that we hope to continue our conversations with the Africa Centre of Excellence in Coastal Recovery Project of the Centre for Coastal Management of the University of Cape Coast. This will allow us to enhance long-term capacity of Liberians through scholarships and a degree-granting program at the University of Liberia.
