As wetlands across Liberia come under increasing pressure from illegal construction, land reclamation, sand mining, and unplanned urban expansion, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has launched a US$3.2 million Wetland Protection Program aimed at safeguarding two of the country's most threatened ecosystems: the Mesurado and Marshall Wetlands.
The program was officially announced on Monday, February 2, 2026, by the EPA's Executive Director and Chief Executive Officer, Dr. Emmanuel K. Urey Yarkpawolo, during a ceremony along 72nd Boulevard in Paynesville City. The launch coincided with Liberia's observance of World Wetlands Day 2026, celebrated under the global theme "Wetlands and Traditional Knowledge: Celebrating Cultural Heritage," with the slogan "Protecting Wetlands, Conserving Cultural Heritage."
The country's wetlands--long regarded as natural buffers against flooding, breeding grounds for fish, and sources of livelihoods--are increasingly being encroached upon by human activity. In Monrovia and its environs, wetlands are routinely filled to make way for homes, commercial structures, and farms, often in violation of environmental laws.
According to the EPA, the Mesurado wetland in particular has become a hotspot for illegal settlements, crop cultivation, waste dumping, and mangrove destruction, driven by population growth and weak land-use enforcement.
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"I'm pleased to inform you that the EPA has been taking action--breaking down illegal structures and bringing violators into compliance," Dr. Yarkpawolo said. "But the situation is overwhelming because of so many interests and continuous violations."
It is against this backdrop that the US$3.2 million program was conceived--not merely as an enforcement exercise, but as a comprehensive response to a national environmental crisis.
Dr. Yarkpawolo explained that the Wetland Protection Program adopts a multi-pronged approach, combining enforcement, restoration, community engagement, and job creation.
The initiative will include the employment of young people as wetland security officers to monitor and protect vulnerable areas, the construction of physical barriers to halt further encroachment, restoration of degraded wetland zones, including mangrove replanting, and the establishment of protected mangrove parks for conservation, education, and eco-tourism.
"This programme shows that environmental protection can generate jobs, boost security, and build national pride," Dr. Yarkpawolo noted. "But we cannot do this on our own."
He called on the government, development partners, private sector actors, civil society organizations, and local communities to see wetland protection as a shared responsibility.
The importance of the initiative extends well beyond Mesurado and Marshall. Wetlands play a strategic role in Liberia's environmental and economic resilience, particularly in a country highly vulnerable to climate shocks.
Wetlands act as natural flood defenses, absorb excess rainfall, store carbon, and support fisheries and agriculture. Their destruction, experts warn, directly worsens flooding in urban areas, accelerates coastal erosion, and undermines food security.
"These impacts are already affecting our people," Dr. Yarkpawolo said. "We are seeing increased flooding during the rainy season, loss of fish, loss of livelihoods, and loss of resilience to climate change."
He stressed that every mangrove forest cleared and every wetland filled weakens Liberia's ability to cope with climate change.
"Every mangrove forest we destroy sends more carbon into our atmosphere. Every wetland we fill destroys our natural flood barriers," he warned.
Fulfilling Liberia's Ramsar Commitments
The program also reinforces Liberia's obligations under the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands, an international treaty to which Liberia is a signatory. Under the Ramsar Agreement, member states commit to the wise use, protection, and sustainable management of wetlands of international importance.
By prioritizing Mesurado and Marshall--both ecologically significant and heavily threatened--the EPA's initiative signals a renewed commitment to aligning national environmental action with international standards.
Environmental analysts say the project demonstrates Liberia's intent to move from policy commitments to practical, on-the-ground conservation, a key requirement of the Ramsar framework.
During the World Wetlands Day celebration, participants engaged in mangrove planting activities at the Mesurado wetland, symbolizing restoration and renewal. The EPA also showcased the use of drone technology to map and monitor wetland areas--an indication of a shift toward science-based decision-making and transparency.
Dr. Yarkpawolo used the occasion to highlight the role of traditional knowledge, noting that long before modern environmental science, Liberians understood the value of wetlands.
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"Our ancestors knew wetlands as sources of food, medicine, transportation, and identity," he said.
"When wetlands are destroyed, we do not only lose biodiversity; we lose culture, history, and identity."
The EPA boss warned that the continued destruction of wetlands poses a direct threat to Liberia's climate resilience, particularly as extreme weather events become more frequent.
"The destruction of wetlands is a direct threat to our ability to respond to climate change," Dr. Yarkpawolo said. "This is a fight that requires all Liberians."
He made a call for unity and stewardship, "Together, we can conserve our wetlands, protect our cultural heritage, and build a resilient Liberia for generations yet unborn."
Liberia is grappling with urban growth, climate change, and development pressures, so the US$3.2 million Wetland Protection Program stands as a critical test of the country's resolve to balance human needs with environmental survival--recognizing that without wetlands, there can be no sustainable future.
