Liberia: Stakeholders Sound Alarm On Pollution Crisis in Montserrado

Environmental experts, civil society organizations, community leaders and government stakeholders have raised serious concerns over the growing threat of soil, water, and waste pollution across communities in Montserrado County, calling for urgent intervention, stronger policies and increased public awareness.

The concerns were highlighted during a stakeholder inception meeting held under the project titled "Protecting Communities from Soil, Water, and Waste Pollution in Montserrado County." The initiative is funded by Pure Earth's Opportunity Fund and implemented by Women & Youth Development International (WYDI) in partnership with the Community Sustainable Development Platform (CSDP).

The roundtable discussion brought together environmental officers, researchers, community representatives, and civil society actors to examine the growing dangers associated with poor waste management, lead contamination, recycling practices, and environmental negligence within vulnerable communities.

Presenting the project overview, environmental officer and project manager Robert Titus Kemokai outlined the project's core objective of protecting communities from lead contamination through environmental data collection, awareness campaigns, and policy advocacy.

According to Kemokai, the project will focus on conducting environmental baseline assessments in ten communities, including soil, water, and air sampling, pollution mapping; volunteer training; community awareness initiatives; and the establishment of a civil society coalition to advocate for a national lead policy.

He described lead as a dangerous heavy metal commonly found in batteries, scrap materials, and industrial waste, warning that "unsafe recycling methods and poor waste disposal practices continue to expose communities to severe health and environmental risks."

The project also aims to improve monitoring systems, strengthen community reporting mechanisms, and increase public education surrounding environmental health and pollution prevention.

During the meeting, stakeholders raised major concerns over the increasing rate of open waste disposal, burning of trash, poor recycling methods, lack of landfill infrastructure, and weak enforcement of environmental regulations across Montserrado County.

Participants emphasized that "mechanic garages and informal scrap centers remain among the leading sources of pollution in many communities due to the unsafe handling of chemicals, oils, batteries, and heavy metals."

Several speakers warned that toxic substances from waste sites and garages are contaminatin