By P. Vangerline Kpotoe
MONROVIA, Oct. 21 (LINA)-In a major step to push youth empowerment with environmental resilience, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) of Liberia officially welcomed the launch of the Presidential Clean Cities Initiative, describing it as a critical bridge between youth employment, public health, and climate adaptation.
Delivering remarks at the official launch ceremony held in Monrovia on October 20,2026, the Executive Director of the EPA, Dr. Emmanuel King Urey Yarkpawolo, commended President Joseph Nyuma Boakai, Sr. for championing the project.
The initiative is set to deploy hundreds of young Liberians across urban centers to clear blocked drainages, manage waste, and restore public spaces.
“By providing short-term employment for hundreds of young Liberians, this initiative puts income into households while giving young people an opportunity to serve their communities, there is dignity in this work, and Liberia needs your contribution,” Dr. Yarkpawolo asserted.
Beyond immediate urban renewal, Dr. Yarkpawolo underscored the initiative’s strategic role in Liberia’s broader response to climate change, highlighting how human activities such as the burning of fossil fuels and deforestation drive global temperature, increases and changes rainfall patterns.
The EPA chief warned that improper waste disposal directly amplifies local flood risks during heavy downpours, noting that the Problem of dumping garbage into drains, building across waterways, and destroying wetlands leave rainwater with nowhere to go, causing localized flooding that destroys homes, disrupts businesses, and threatens lives.
He announced that maintaining open drainage networks, protecting natural wetlands, and collecting waste serve as actionable climate adaptation measures—practical steps to mitigate climate harm today.
His statement also drew a direct link between clean streets and public health, stressing that unmanaged waste and clogged drains create stagnant water pools, fueling mosquito breeding grounds and contaminating drinking supplies with sewage during flood events.
To ensure safety, Dr. Yarkpawolo urged implementing agencies to safeguard the young workforce on the frontlines: Equip workers with proper personal protective equipment (PPE), including gloves, boots, and tools as well as to Provide strict supervision for handling hazardous or dangerous waste
He intoned that ensuring proper disposal, emphasizing that relocating garbage from markets to nearby wetlands merely transfers environmental damage to another community.
Addressing City Mayors, local authorities, and development partners, Dr. Yarkpawolo stressed that while the youth employment project offers temporary relief, clean cities require permanent institutional commitment.