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Monrovia – The future of the “New Monrovia,” is one of five areas in Liberia under the Ramsar Convention that the government of Liberia is receiving funding for to protect. All Liberia has to do is to ensure that the area is never inhabited. Report bLiberia: EPA Requests Environmental Impact Assessment Report For President Weah’s Bali Island Project
Monrovia – The future of the “New Monrovia,” is one of five areas in Liberia under the Ramsar Convention that the government of Liberia is receiving funding for to protect. All Liberia has to do is to ensure that the area is never inhabited. Report by Henry Karmo, henry.karmo@frontpageafricaonline.com The Convention still lists Liberia as member meaning Liberia’s 2003 decision to form a part of the body has not been reversed. In addition to Bali, four other areas are being earmarked as forbidden: Gbedin Wetlands in Nimba, Kpatawee Wetlands in Bong County, Marshall Wetlands in Margibi County and the Mesurado Wetlands, which being considered the future “new city” of Monrovia. The area, according to the Convention, provides a favorable habitat and feeding grounds for several species of birds including the African spoonbill Platalea alba, common Pratincole Glareola nuchaltis and Curlew Numenius arquata. “It also hosts the vulnerable African dwarf crocodile, the Nile crocodile and the African sharp-nosed crocodile and plays an important role in shoreline stabilization and sediment trapping. The site is currently used for fuel wood collection, as a dumping site, for car washing, and fishing, with fish and crustaceans sold to the population of Monrovia. An additional threat comes from unregulated fishing, as well as from pollution from the industries around the site, including an oil refinery and paint factories. No management plan currently exists, but there are plans to put it under a protected area management network once it has been successfully designated as a Ramsar site.” Despite these concerns, this newspaper has reliably learnt that the Ministry of Public Works has requested the EPA to issue environmental certificate to allow the go ahead of the CDC government project but sources say the EPA has requested government to conduct an environmental assessment on the land. “We cannot politicize environmental issues; we need to know if the area is suitable for the project,” our source said. Public Works Minister Mobutu Nyepan told this newspaper that his Ministry is pursuing all the processes that are required by law and consistent with international best practices to ensure the utilization on Bali Island for infrastructure development purposes. “As a government, we are confident that these processes when pursued, will lead us to using the island without any alarm from any institution,” he said. President George Manneh Weah on Monday, March 26, 2018 toured the Bali Island, which is situated in the middle of the Mesurado River. The Liberian leader intends to transform Bali Island into the New Monrovia commencing with the construction of a state-of-the-art International Conference Center and other standardized structures. Read more
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