Environmental issues in Liberia

Last updated
A Liberian tropical forest. Liberia tropical forest.jpg
A Liberian tropical forest.

Environmental issues in Liberia include the deforestation of tropical rainforest, the hunting of endangered species for bushmeat, the pollution of rivers and coastal waters from industrial run-off and raw sewage, and the burning and dumping of household waste.

Contents

Like other countries in Africa, Liberia is also especially vulnerable to climate change, exacerbating existing environmental issues.

Poaching of endangered species for consumption as bushmeat

Pygmy hippos are among the species illegally hunted for food in Liberia. The World Conservation Union estimates that there are fewer than 3,000 pygmy hippos remaining in the wild. Choeropsis.jpg
Pygmy hippos are among the species illegally hunted for food in Liberia. The World Conservation Union estimates that there are fewer than 3,000 pygmy hippos remaining in the wild.

Endangered species are hunted for human consumption as bushmeat in Liberia. [1] Species hunted for food in Liberia include elephants, pygmy hippopotamus, chimpanzees, leopards, duikers, and monkeys. [1] Forest rangers in Liberia say that bushmeat poachers will kill any forest animal they encounter. [1]

Bushmeat is widely eaten in Liberia, and is considered a delicacy. [3] A 2004 public opinion survey found that bushmeat ranked second behind fish amongst residents of the capital Monrovia as a preferred source of protein. [3] Of households where bushmeat was served, 80% of residents said they cooked it "once in a while," while 13% cooked it once a week and 7% cooked bushmeat daily. [3] The survey was conducted during the last civil war, and bushmeat consumption is now believed to be far higher. [3]

Poachers hunt protected species inside Liberia's national parks, including the Sapo and Gola rainforest parks. [1] The poachers mostly hunt using snares and wire traps. [1] The head of conservation at the Liberian government Forest Development Authority said when interviewed that a single hunter may set between 200 and 300 traps and not return to them for two to three weeks - leaving the caught animals to a prolonged death. [1] Bushmeat is often exported to neighboring Sierra Leone and Ivory Coast, despite a ban on the cross-border sale of wild animals. [1]

It is illegal to kill protected species like chimpanzees and elephants in Liberia. However, forest rangers are not allowed to carry guns, and are understaffed. Prosecution of poachers is also hampered by weak anti-poaching legislation. [1]

Deforestation

Liberia is a global biodiversity hotspot - a significant reservoir of biodiversity that is under threat from humans. [4] Liberia contains a significant portion of West Africa's remaining rainforest, with about 43% of the Upper Guinean forest - an important forest that spans several West African nations. [4]

Slash-and-burn agriculture is one of the human activities eroding Liberia's natural forests. [5] A 2004 UN report estimated that between 1990 and 2004, forest cover in Liberia had fallen by around seven percent to just over 31 per cent of Liberia's total area. [5]

Illegal logging has increased in Liberia since the end of the Second Civil War in 2003. [4] In 2012 President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf granted licenses to companies to cut down 58% of all the primary rainforest left in Liberia. [4] After international protests, many of those logging permits were cancelled. [4]

Liberia and Norway struck an agreement in September 2014 whereby Liberia ceases all logging in exchange for $150 million in development aid. [4] Liberia agreed to place 30% or more of its forests under protected area status by 2020. [4] It will also pilot direct payments to communities for protecting the forest. Norway will seek independent verification that trees remain standing before payments are made. [4] However, subsequent reports by environmental and watchdog groups suggest that this program may have accelerated some elements of deforestation. [6]

In 2004, a United Nations Environment Program report estimated that 99 per cent of Liberians burnt charcoal and fuel wood for cooking and heating, resulting in deforestation. [5] The report found that Liberia was beginning to export charcoal in the region. [5] Coastal mangrove swamps were also being burnt for fuel, removing nursery grounds for fish and the mangroves role as a natural flood defence. [5]

Liberia had a 2018 Forest Landscape Integrity Index mean score of 4.79/10, ranking it 116th globally out of 172 countries. [7]

Water quality

Pollution in Monrovia

Dwellings along the Mesurado River in Monrovia. Discarded plastics can be seen washed up on the bank opposite the buildings. Mesurado River (6831730706).jpg
Dwellings along the Mesurado River in Monrovia. Discarded plastics can be seen washed up on the bank opposite the buildings.

Pollution is a significant issue in Liberia's capital city- Monrovia. [8] Piles of household and industrial rubbish in Monrovia build up and are not always collected by sanitation companies paid by the World Bank to collect this waste. [8] In 2009 the World Bank stated that its goal was to increase collection and disposal to 45 percent of Monrovia's daily generated waste by December 2013, an increase of 15 percentage points from 2009. [9]

In 2013, the problem of uncollected rubbish became so acute in the Paynesville area of Monrovia that traders and residents burnt "the huge garbage piles that seemed on the verge of cutting off the main road" out of Monrovia to Kakata. [8]

During Liberia's civil wars, Monrovia went without any formal garbage collection service for 17 years. [9] Residents burnt, buried or dumped their household waste. [9] Swamps near the city were filled with rubbish, and garbage was used to extend riverbanks. [9] The Fiamah neighborhood in central Monrovia was an uncontrolled dump site for the entire city. [9]

Rubbish blocked drains and sewers, causing flooding and stagnant water in which mosquitoes were able to breed. [9] Estimates of only the most evident rubbish piles around the city amounted to more than 70,000 tons of solid waste on the streets. [9] Since 2006 the international community has paid for all rubbish collection and disposal in Monrovia via the World Bank. [9]

Frequent flooding brings environmental problems to residents of Monrovia, as flood water mixes with and carries waste found in swamps that are often on the verge of residential areas. [8]

Other

The 2004 UN report also said that there was an urgent need to salvage damaged and sunken ships in major ports and coastal sites around Liberia for both environmental and safety reasons. [5]

Sanitation

"Do Not Pupu Here" - A sign on a Monrovia beach asking people not to defecate in the area, 2012. Do Not Pupu Here (6831739266).jpg
"Do Not Pupu Here" - A sign on a Monrovia beach asking people not to defecate in the area, 2012.

In 2008, one in 25 Liberians had access to a toilet, with most using the nearest bush or beach. [10]

In 2009, one-third of Monrovia's 1.5 million people had access to clean toilets. [11] Those without their own toilets defecate in the narrow alley-ways between their houses, on the beach, or into plastic bags, which they dump on nearby piles of rubbish or into the sea. [11]

Congested housing, no requirement that landlords provide working toilets, and virtually no urban planning "have combined to create lethal sanitation conditions in the capital". [10] The poor infrastructure "means toilet-users may have to use up to four gallons of water each time they flush", according to a civil servant interviewed by IRIN News in 2008. [10] “At US 25 cents a gallon, for some it is a choice between flushing and affording to buy food at the end of the day”. [10]

Most Liberians are forced to buy all their water from street vendors at inflated prices. [10] “When some of my neighbours defecate they cannot get enough water to flush their toilets, so they sometimes throw the faeces around the place, exposing us all to health hazards,” Monrovia shopkeeper Samuel Tweh told IRIN. [10] Without regular running water, waste flushed into the system often backs up, causing sewage to spill out of manholes into the streets. [10]

In slums like West Point, 70,000 residents have access to four public toilets. [11] In 2009, a visit to a toilet in West Point cost 2.5 US cents. [11] The young men running the latrines said there were around 500 users a day. [11] The facilities "can be smelled 50 metres away, with the floor of each squalid cubicle 15cm deep in soiled newspaper that residents use to wipe their posteriors. Staff use gloved hands to scoop the used paper into a wheelbarrow, which they dump in the nearby river or beach". [11]

Mining

In a 2004 UN environmental report, it was estimated that there were around 5,000 unlicensed and 1,000 licensed mining operations in Liberia. [5] The report said the mines caused damage through the excavation of forests and riverbeds. [5] The report noted that pollutants such as cyanide were used in the mining process, with the cyanide entering rivers. [5] Mercury used in the extraction of gold from ore was also a pollutant mentioned. [5]

Overfishing

See Overfishing in West Africa

Climate change

Population density and low elevation coastal zones. Monrovia is especially vulnerable to sea level rise. Monrovia, Liberia Population Density and Low Elevation Coastal Zones (5457306759).jpg
Population density and low elevation coastal zones. Monrovia is especially vulnerable to sea level rise.
This section is an excerpt from Climate change in Liberia.[ edit ]
Climate change in Liberia causes many problems as Liberia is particularly vulnerable to climate change. Like many other countries in Africa, Liberia both faces existing environmental issues, as well as sustainable development challenges. [12] Because of its location in Africa, it is vulnerable to extreme weather, the coastal effects of sea level rise, and changing water systems and water availability. [13] Climate change is expected to severely impact the economy of Liberia, especially agriculture, fisheries, and forestry. Liberia has been an active participant in international and local policy changes related to climate change. [14]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Liberia</span> Country in West Africa

Liberia, officially the Republic of Liberia, is a country on the West African coast. It is bordered by Sierra Leone to its northwest, Guinea to its north, Ivory Coast to its east, and the Atlantic Ocean to its south and southwest. It has a population of around 5 million and covers an area of 43,000 square miles (111,369 km2). The country's official language is English; however, over 20 indigenous languages are spoken, reflecting the country's ethnic and cultural diversity. The capital and largest city is Monrovia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Geography of Liberia</span>

Liberia is a sub-Saharan nation in West Africa located at 6 °N, 9 °W. It borders the north Atlantic Ocean to the southwest and three other African nations on the other three sides, Sierra Leone to the northwest, Guinea to the northeast and Ivory Coast to the east.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Afrotropical realm</span> One of Earths eight biogeographic realms

The Afrotropical realm is one of the Earth's eight biogeographic realms. It includes Sub-Saharan Africa, the southern Arabian Peninsula, the island of Madagascar, and the islands of the western Indian Ocean. It was formerly known as the Ethiopian Zone or Ethiopian Region.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Monrovia</span> Capital, chief port, and the largest city of Liberia

Monrovia is the capital city of the West African country of Liberia. Founded in 1822, it is located on Cape Mesurado on the Atlantic coast and as of the 2022 census had 1,761,032 residents, home to 33.5% of Liberia’s total population. Its Metro Area including Montserrado and Margibi counties largely being urbanized, was home to 2,225,911 inhabtants as of the 2022 census. As the nation's primate city, Monrovia is the country's economic, financial and cultural center; its economy is primarily centered on its harbor and its role as the seat of Liberian government.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Environmental issues in Indonesia</span>

Environmental issues in Indonesia are associated with the country's high population density and rapid industrialisation, and they are often given a lower priority due to high poverty levels, and an under-resourced governance.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Environmental issues in Kenya</span>

Environmental issues in Kenya include deforestation, soil erosion, desertification, water shortage and degraded water quality, flooding, poaching, and domestic and industrial pollution.

The Lower Guinean forests also known as the Lower Guinean-Congolian forests, are a region of coastal tropical moist broadleaf forest in West Africa, extending along the eastern coast of the Gulf of Guinea from eastern Benin through Nigeria and Cameroon.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Environmental issues in Africa</span>

African environmental issues are caused by human impacts on the natural environment and affect humans and nearly all forms of life. Issues include deforestation, soil degradation, air pollution, water pollution, garbage pollution, climate change and water scarcity. These issues result in environmental conflict and are connected to broader social struggles for democracy and sovereignty.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wildlife of the Democratic Republic of the Congo</span>

The wildlife of the Democratic Republic of the Congo includes its flora and fauna, comprising a large biodiversity in rainforests, seasonally flooded forests and grasslands.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wildlife of Liberia</span> Wildlife inhabiting of Liberia

The wildlife of Liberia consists of the flora and fauna of the Republic of Liberia. This West African nation has a long Atlantic coastline and a range of habitat types, with a corresponding diversity of plants and animals. Liberia is considered a biodiversity hotspot and has more intact forests characteristic of the Upper Guinea Massif than do neighbouring countries. There are 2000 species of vascular plants, approximately 140 species of mammals, and over 600 species of birds.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Environment of Indonesia</span>

The environment of Indonesia consists of 17,508 islands scattered over both sides of the equator. Indonesia's size, tropical climate, and archipelagic geography, support the world's second highest level of biodiversity after Brazil.

Environmental issues in Brazil include deforestation, illegal wildlife trade, illegal poaching, air, land degradation, and water pollution caused by mining activities, wetland degradation, pesticide use and severe oil spills, among others. As the home to approximately 13% of all known species, Brazil has one of the most diverse collections of flora and fauna on the planet. Impacts from agriculture and industrialization in the country threaten this biodiversity.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">West Point, Monrovia</span> Township in Montserrado, Liberia

West Point is a township of the Liberian capital city of Monrovia, located on a 0.53 km2 peninsula which juts out into the Atlantic Ocean between the Mesurado and Saint Paul rivers. West Point is one of Monrovia's most densely populated slums.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Clara Town</span>

Clara Town is a slum located on Bushrod Island in Monrovia, the capital of Liberia. It is built upon a swamp. Clara Town was one of several ethnic communes that was squatted in the outskirts of Monrovia. Clara Town had around 4,500 inhabitants in 1964 out of whom 99% were Kru.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Deforestation by continent</span> Removal of forests worldwide

Rates and causes of deforestation vary from region to region around the world. In 2009, two-thirds of the world's forests were located in just 10 countries: Russia, Brazil, Canada, the United States, China, Australia, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Indonesia, India, and Peru.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Conservation in Brazil</span>

Even though progress has been made in conserving Brazil’s landscapes, the country still faces serious threats due to its historical land use. Amazonian forests substantially influence regional and global climates and deforesting this region is both a regional and global driver of climate change due to the high amounts of deforestation and habitat fragmentation that have occurred this region.

The principal environmental issues in Peru are water pollution, soil erosion, pollution and deforestation. Although these issues are problematic and equally destructive, the Peruvian Environmental ministry has been developing regulation and laws to decrease the amount of pollution created in major cities and have been making policies in order to decrease the present deforestation rate in Peru.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Deforestation in the Democratic Republic of the Congo</span>

Deforestation in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) is an environmental conflict of international importance. Most of the deforestation takes place in the Congo Basin, which has the second largest rainforest in the world after the Amazon. Roughly half the remaining rainforest in the Congo Basin is in the DRC.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Palm Grove Cemetery</span> Cemetery in Monrovia, Liberia

Palm Grove Cemetery is a cemetery near downtown Monrovia, the capital city of Liberia. During the Tolbert administration, the cemetery became the focus of the national Decoration Day, which continued to be observed after Tolbert was murdered in a 1980 coup d'état and his body dumped at the cemetery. Once the country's national cemetery, it was threatened during June 1982 by Monrovia municipal authorities. In a complaint to the People's Redemption Council, the city noted that the cemetery was being used as a waste dump and was so full of graves that new burials were being conducted unsafely, even though increasing numbers of local residents were being buried in Paynesville. The authorities requested permission to close the cemetery to new burials and to move the cemetery to a new location, away from its original Center Street site, but the cemetery remains in Monrovia to date.

Environmental issues in the Democratic Republic of the Congo are the consequence of compounding social and economic problems, including lack of access to clean energy, clearing of lands for agriculture and economic development, and armed conflict. Major environmental issues in DRC include deforestation, poaching, which threatens wildlife populations, water pollution and mining.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 ""Poaching in Liberia's Forests Threatens Rare Animals", Anne Look, [[Voice of America]] News, May 08, 2012". Archived from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved October 31, 2014.
  2. ↑ Ransom, C.; Robinson, P.T.; Collen, B. (2015). "Choeropsis liberiensis". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 2015: e.T10032A18567171. doi: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2015-2.RLTS.T10032A18567171.en . Retrieved 13 November 2021. Database entry includes a brief justification of why this species is of endangered.
  3. 1 2 3 4 ""Extinction is forever: A crisis that is Liberia's endangered wildlife", Wynfred Russell, [[Front Page Africa]], 15 January 2014". Archived from the original on 3 March 2016. Retrieved 31 October 2014.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 "Liberia signs 'transformational' deal to stem deforestation", Matt McGrath, BBC News, 23 September 2014.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 "Restoring the Battered and Broken Environment of Liberia One of the Keys to a New and Sustainable Future" Archived 2014-11-08 at archive.today , United Nations Environment Program, 13 February 2014.
  6. ↑ "Liberia's community forestry becoming a front for deforestation: Report". Mongabay Environmental News. 2019-01-23. Retrieved 2020-05-21.
  7. ↑ Grantham, H. S.; Duncan, A.; Evans, T. D.; Jones, K. R.; Beyer, H. L.; Schuster, R.; Walston, J.; Ray, J. C.; Robinson, J. G.; Callow, M.; Clements, T.; Costa, H. M.; DeGemmis, A.; Elsen, P. R.; Ervin, J.; Franco, P.; Goldman, E.; Goetz, S.; Hansen, A.; Hofsvang, E.; Jantz, P.; Jupiter, S.; Kang, A.; Langhammer, P.; Laurance, W. F.; Lieberman, S.; Linkie, M.; Malhi, Y.; Maxwell, S.; Mendez, M.; Mittermeier, R.; Murray, N. J.; Possingham, H.; Radachowsky, J.; Saatchi, S.; Samper, C.; Silverman, J.; Shapiro, A.; Strassburg, B.; Stevens, T.; Stokes, E.; Taylor, R.; Tear, T.; Tizard, R.; Venter, O.; Visconti, P.; Wang, S.; Watson, J. E. M. (2020). "Anthropogenic modification of forests means only 40% of remaining forests have high ecosystem integrity - Supplementary Material". Nature Communications. 11 (1): 5978. doi: 10.1038/s41467-020-19493-3 . ISSN   2041-1723. PMC   7723057 . PMID   33293507.
  8. 1 2 3 4 "Monrovia’s ‘Never-Ending’ Pollution Issues In 2013", Edwin M. Fayia III Archived 2016-12-26 at the Wayback Machine , The Liberian Observer, December 30, 2014.
  9. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 ""Digging Out Monrovia from the Waste of War", The World Bank - International Development Association, August 2009". Archived from the original on 2014-10-31. Retrieved 2014-10-30.
  10. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "LIBERIA: No relief as most Monrovians go without toilets", IRIN News, 19 November 2008.
  11. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "LIBERIA: Disease rife as more people squeeze into fewer toilets", IRIN News, 19 November 2009.
  12. ↑ "Building effective climate governance in Liberia - Liberia". ReliefWeb. Retrieved 2020-05-21.
  13. ↑ "Climate Risk Profile: Liberia". Climatelinks. Retrieved 2020-05-21.
  14. ↑ Blackmore, R.D. Lorna Doone. Ryerson Press. ISBN   0-665-26503-4. OCLC   1084383140.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.