By Adama Conteh
In just four months this year, Sierra Leone has lost 520 hectares of protected forest in the Western Area Rural District (WARD-C). This was revealed by the Mayor of Freetown, Her Worship Yvonne Aki-Sawyerr and referenced that in 2023 a case study indicates that 550 hectares were lost.
Mayor Aki Sawyer expressed her concern over the massive deforestation, which leads to soil erosion from the mountains to the street and obstruct water channels. She called on all Sierra Leoneans to cease deforestation activities.
“This weather we are facing is one of the impacts of climate change, inside this month of July, we already have 691 millimeters of rain,” she stated.
She said that with the support of the World Bank, the Freetown City Council has planted 977,000 trees to combat deforestation with an additional 300,000 trees including 200,000 mangroves to be planted.
She revealed that the FCC has engaged 2,663 youths in various communities across 60 flashpoints spending NLe 500,000. She continued that the FCC has employed 843 individuals to sweep 180 streets in Freetown every day.
The Deputy Executive Director, National Disaster Management Agency, John Vandy Rogers disclosed that the NDMA partners with different institutions such as the Sierra Leone Road Authority (SLRA), the Freetown City Council (FCC) and also the Meteorological Agency to plan and prepare disaster response.
He continued that the Meteorological Agency forecasted that there will be heavy rain fall in July, August, and September and that the NDMA has also conducted the risk assessment and has prepared levels to mitigate potential disaster.
He stated the various factors that combined the disaster in Freetown, that those that build houses on waterways, deforestation, and human activities that obstruct waterways with dirt. He furthered urged all citizens to work together to avoid disaster in the country.
