The Cities Alliance Liberia Country Programme, with support from the European Union, has launched a community awareness campaign in Clara Town, Monrovia to tackle flooding and blocked waterways resulting from poor waste disposal.
To mark World Environment Day on 5 June, the Cities Alliance Country Programme launched a community awareness and clean-up campaign in Clara Town, Monrovia, with support from the European Union. The campaign targets flooding and poor waste disposal, which has resulted in blocked drainages and piles of uncollected waste in the roads throughout Clara Town. The campaign draws on Liberia Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) national theme for 2019, which is “Clean Air, Good Health.”
With over 8,800 households, Clara town is prone to flooding during the rainy season as a result of clogged drainages and waterways. The awareness and cleanup campaign organised by Cities Alliance in partnership with Monrovia City Corporation and the Environmental Protection Agency focused on sensitizing residents about the importance of clean drainages and waterways, in preparation for the rainy season.
At the launch of the campaign, Cities Alliance Officer in Charge Mr. Senjovu Andrew called for a collective effort from all stakeholders to actively engage and support initiatives aimed at maintaining sustainable solid waste management system in the cities and communities.
European Union Program Manager Ms. Vera Kellen emphasised the role each individual plays in promoting proper solid waste management in Greater Monrovia. “It is a collective effort of every citizen to ensure that the city, communities and households are cleaned and maintained,” Ms. Kellen said.
The Director General for Service Programmes at the Monrovia City Corporation, Mr. Abraham Garneo, emphasised the importance of utilising the primary waste collection chain, saying, “residents need to work with Community Based Enterprises (CBEs) who collect the waste from households to the skip buckets.” During the awareness session, the Cities Alliance team called upon all residents of Clara Town to use the 4R principle of reducing, recycling, re-using and recovery of waste at the household level.
The event concluded with a cleanup campaign along two major drainage channels linking the town to the Du river. Over 88 people participated in the event, including representatives of ten CBEs, the EPA, the Monrovia City Corporation, YMCA-Liberia, PASSA members, Federation of Petty Traders and Informal Workers Union of Liberia, Habitat for Humanity International, and Federation of Liberia Urban Poor Savers. They joined residents of Clara Town to unblock the town’s two major drainages, collect 70 tons of waste, and dispose the waste at the Stockton Creek transfer station.
Part of the Cities Alliance Liberia Country Programme, the EU-funded project “Delivering Climate-Resilient Solid Waste Management Services in Greater Monrovia, Liberia through Community-Based Enterprises” aims to ensure that Greater Monrovia is serviced by a citywide integrated solid waste management system that reduces greenhouse gas emissions and enhances the city’s resilience against climate change and disease.
For more information, please contact Ms. Patmillia Doe Paivey, Cities Alliance Liberia Country Programme Communication and Visibility Officer ppaivey@citiesalliance.org 0770512370
