Monrovia, June 3, 2025 – The Executive Director of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) of Liberia, Dr. Emmanuel K. Urey Yarkpawolo, today appeal for joint regional action to protect shared water resources.

Speaking at the Mano Rivee Union Briefing and Sensitization Meeting on the Creation of the Transboundary Water Basins Management Office (TWBMO), held at the Corina Hotel on 26th Street, Sinkor, Dr. Yarkpawolo stressed the urgent need for collaboration among MRU member states—Liberia, Sierra Leone, Côte d’Ivoire, and Guinea.

“We are gathered here for a matter of critical importance: the management of our shared water basins,” Dr. Yarkpawolo told the audience of minister’s representatives, technical experts, and regional delegates. “Our rivers are under serious threat—from pollution, illegal mining, and climate change. We must act together before it’s too late.”

He cited real-world examples to highlight the challenges. He recalled how the Cavalla River—shared by Liberia and Côte d’Ivoire—was polluted by a mining company last year, yet Liberian authorities only learned about the incident a month later. Illegal dredging along the same river, he noted, is still ongoing on both sides of the border, with weak enforcement due to jurisdictional barriers.

Dr. Yarkpawolo also pointed to the Mano River, which borders Liberia and Sierra Leone, as another example. “It once ran clean,” he said, “but today it’s polluted, and the people who once depended on it are suffering.”

He said these stories reflect a larger regional crisis. “This is not just about Liberia. All of us are facing the same problems. That’s why we need a strong, functioning MRU Water Basin Authority.”

Liberia, he noted, has already made water protection a key part of its national climate strategy—NDCs 3.0—but national efforts are not enough.

“Most of our major rivers start in Guinea. If we don’t protect the headwaters, what happens downstream in Liberia, Sierra Leone, or Côte d’Ivoire will not matter.”

Dr. Yarkpawolo recommended that the new regional office focus on setting clear policies and treaties, which member countries would then enforce through their national institutions.

“Let’s be honest—setting up an office is not the hard part. Making it work is where the challenge lies,” he said. “We need our political leaders to go beyond speeches. We need real funding, real authority, and real commitment.”

-30-