Trying to help the Sea Turtle before its death.

Liberia’s coastal zone has a high biodiversity. For example, four of the remaining seven species of sea turtles occur there. The coastal plain extends about 25 miles inland and consists of forests, savanna and swamp vegetation, including mangroves. This area has been subjected to a variety of pressures in recent years ranging from the harvesting of mangroves for fuel wood, forest clearing and the use of the coast as dumping grounds for refuses to the mining of sand at beaches which continue to threaten the rich biodiversity. Oil and gas exploration and production has the potential to reduce biodiversity and adversely affect the lives of humans and other biological resources in and beyond exploration and production areas especially when spills and other pollutants are released into the water.

Pile of mangrove wood used for charcoal production.

This project will assess the vulnerability of the Liberian coastal zone to marine oil spills through a study of the coastal ecosystem (with emphasis on species of special concerns). It will also assess the dependence on natural systems by people in potentially affected communities, including a socio-economic profile of inhabitants of fishing communities in Liberia’s coastal zone, as well as review existing environmental problems in the region and relevant national legislation. The ultimate goal is to provide a framework for the sustainable management of the environment and biodiversity in the coastal and marine zones. It will also produce a coastal sensitivity map of human settlements and major biotic communities. To achieve this, I shall conduct a desk-top study collating existing information on the environment and oil spills in Liberia and elsewhere. I also shall use local circulation models to assess the biodiversity and socio-economic impacts of oil spills.

At the end of this study, it is envisaged that the level of vulnerability of Liberia’s coast to oil spills will be better understood and recommendations made to ensure the sustainable management of the environment and biodiversity in coastal and marine zones of Liberia.