-Hotel Africa, New Kru Town, West Point, Pan African Plaza to be wiped away in 30 years
By Augustine Octavius
The United Nations Development Program (UNDP) has revealed that Liberia will loss the length of one hundred feet deep in-land along coastal areas to sea erosion in 30 years
UNDP Consultant John Mayson disclosed that several structures including the historic Hotel Africa, the Borough of New Kru Town, the Barclay Training Center, the Township of West Point, the Water Side Bridge and Libyan Holding Company Building or Pan African Plaza will all be wiped out by sea erosion.
Mr. Mayson made the disclosure when he gave an overview of the Monrovia climate resilient project during a meeting with representatives of banks, concession companies and multi national companies in Monrovia recently.
The UNDP consultant is therefore recommending that urgent action be taken with the collaboration of the government, concession companies, banking institutions and other privite sectors to address the problem of climatic change now.
According to him, projects such as the re-planting of mango trees, halting the filling and construction of in swamps, putting a complete stop on illegal sand mining along the prohibited areas.
“It is better to begin addressing the problem of sea ersion and curbing the climatic challenges,” Mr. Mayson said and adding, “ but when nothing is done our future generation stands the risk tlossing a vast portion of land.”
The Executive Director of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Mr. Nathaniel Blama, disclosed that over 200 million United States Dollars of properties and thoudands of people will displaced if nothing is done.
Mr. Blama maintained that more than 120,000 people will be affected by displacement and will have to move to other areas.
“No money has been made available for accessment of the impact of the climatic change on other areas stretching from the Bernard Beach (in Monrovia’s Sinkor suburb) to Harper, Maryland County,” he said
The EPA boss suggested that the government and companies begin investing at least one million United States Dollars annually by undertaking projects aimed at blocking the sea erosion
According to Mr. Blama, Liberia stands to benefit from US$100,000 from the Green Environmental Fund and other international organizations once five to ten million United States Dollars domestically.
The meeting, which was sponsored by the UNDP, brought representatives from the banking sector, the Liberia Business Association, the Liberia Chamber of Commerce and concession companies.