Monrovia, Liberia – The Executive Director of Liberia’s Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Dr. Emmanuel K. Urey Yarkpawolo, has issued a strong warning against a proposal to remove Sapo National Park (SNP) from its protected status. Dr. Yarkpawolo argues that the move, proposed by Hon. Thomas Romeo Quiah of Sinoe County District #2, would inflict “irreversible damage” on Liberia’s environmental, economic, and cultural heritage.
In a detailed rebuttal, Dr. Yarkpawolo called SNP the nation’s “prime treasure” and Liberia’s largest protected area, home to one of the most pristine tropical rainforests on Earth. The park, which spans 180,400 hectares in Sinoe County, is a haven for hundreds of species of rare, endemic, and endangered mammals, birds, and plants. It plays a crucial role in maintaining ecological stability and climate resilience for the region.
The EPA highlighted that the park forms the core of the largest remaining portion of the Upper Guinean Forest in West Africa. It functions as a significant global carbon sink, capable of storing up to 29 million tons of carbon. Dr. Yarkpawolo warned that de-gazetting the park would “destroy Liberia’s competitive advantage in global carbon markets” and undermine the nation’s commitments under the Paris Agreement.
He further noted that for every dollar invested in a protected area, there is an economic return of at least six dollars through essential ecosystem services, such as water purification, flood regulation, and hazard protection. These ecological benefits also help reduce drought and extreme heat risks for nearby communities.
Dr. Yarkpawolo stressed that the proposal directly conflicts with several Liberian laws, including the Environmental Protection and Management Law (2003) and the National Wildlife Conservation and Protected Area Management Law (2016). He stated it would also violate the country’s pledge to protect 30% of its forests and its obligations under various global biodiversity and climate treaties.
The EPA chief pushed back against the idea that de-gazetting the park would benefit local communities. He cited past experiences with unregulated logging, which left forests depleted and local populations worse off. He pointed out that over 90% of the park’s staff are hired from surrounding towns, providing steady local employment that would be lost if protections were removed.
“Experience shows degazettement favors elite commercial interests over grassroots development,” Dr. Yarkpawolo said. “It would open the door to unsustainable exploitation, rural poverty, and the erosion of community rights.”
Rather than eliminating the park’s protected status, the EPA recommends governance reforms, increased funding, and greater community involvement. Specific proposals include boosting SNP’s operational budget, launching international fundraising campaigns, conducting carbon credit feasibility studies, and resolving boundary disputes with local communities.
Dr. Yarkpawolo concluded, “The long-term socio-ecological and economic costs of degazetting far outweigh any short-term gains. Our task is not to dismantle Sapo National Park, but to unlock its full potential for conservation and sustainable livelihoods.”