New Water Policy and Practice Volume 1, Number 2 - Spring 2015 | Page 35

New Water Policy and Practice

damaging is the forest clearing processes, which is as a result of subsistence farming and
settlement construction. Forest clearing has exposed the river to erosion, sedimentation
and direct sun ray, thereby changing the temperature and impacting ecosystem health.
Increase storm runoff and the discharge of other impurities into the river are among
drivers influencing Burl River pollution. Rural sewage overloading and malfunctioning
of septic systems is a burgeoning phenomenon accounting for water pollution. These
factors coupled with the discharge of sugar cane related wastes upstream have induced
contamination of various sorts impacting aquatic lives.

The GIS approach for identifying pollution concentration has been demonstrated
in the mapping of pollution, flooding, erosion and hazards (PA Brivio, R. Colombo, M.
Maggi 2002; Sauer, Schanze and Walze 2007; Palmer et al., 2009). Hence, this study aims
to evaluate the environmental pollution potential within the Burl river basin and bring
to the attention of stakeholders the need to set best management standards for quality
control. Therefore, the study employs the application of GIS to identifying pollution
sources and highlights the major causes of pollution as well the adverse impacts and
suggests prudent measures for effective monitoring and control of pollutants.
Study Area

This study was carried out at one of the major rivers (Burl River) in Northern
Liberia, Precisely Kpaytuo Township, Nimba County (Fig 1). Nimba County extends
from latitude (in decimal degree) 6.75 and longitude (in decimal degree) 8.75 and
latitude (in degrees, minutes, and seconds) 6o 45’ 00” N and longitude (in degrees,
minutes, and seconds) 8o 45’ 00” W. Born in 1964, Nimba has a tropical climate with
alternating wet and dry seasons. Generally, the wet and dry seasons are the two basic
seasonal patterns of Liberia. The annual precipitation is as little as 200 cm towards
the north. In most part of the County, the temperatures are moderate almost all year
round. Apart from the higher altitudes that has a fewer savannahs, the county is
predominantly rain forest. These fewer savannahs related areas formed (iron formation
pebble conglomerate), thus ensuring the existence of extractive natural resources. This
makes iron mining the largest industry of Nimba County, indeed of Liberia. Formerly,
the Liberian American-Swedish Mining Co. (LAMCO) operated mines at Mt. Nimba.
At present, LAMCO has been taken over and operated by Mittal Steel, one of the largest
global steel giants. Regarded as one of Liberia’s breadbasket counties, there are series
of upland farming and life crops production in most parts of the county. There are
rubber plantations, oil palm production and cocoa in several regions of the County.
The county’s largest rubber plantation is Cocopa plantation. Dominated by rain forest,
Logging is also a common practice in Nimba County. In fact, logging is among the
County’s largest industry. Prior to the civil crisis in Liberia, there were selective logging
practices that harvested hardwoods from the magnificent stands of timber in the Gio
forest and Gbi Range areas. However, hard costs of living amongst inhabitants have
intensified the logging activities across the county. Eminent among whic