By Sahr Ibrahim Komba
Research conducted by the Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre published a report on displacement linked to sea level rise on the Plantain Island in Sierra Leone showed that over two million people along the coastal line of Sierra Leone are expected to be at risk from predicted sea level rise. The report revealed that the coastal zone in Sierra Leone is highly vulnerable to the increased frequency and severity of coastal erosion and level rise linked to the effects of climate change and human activities.
This event took place on November 26 at NDMA headquarters, 64 Sir Samuel Lewis Road Aberdeen.
The Sierra Leone National Disaster Management Agency (NDMA) and the Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre (IDMC) conducted the research on displacement situation in June 2024. The report showed that Plantain Island which hosts a fishing community at around 5,800 people has been losing homes and land to sea for several decades and many of those who have lost their homes left the Island and sought refuge in other communities in the mainland. Those who were unable to leave were forced to move further inland on the Island itself.
In his statement, the Director General of NDMA Lt.Gen(Rtd) Brima Sesay expressed gratitude to the team for putting the report together, noting that the process highlight strategic engagement at the agency it enhances proper data management and experience sharing. He disclosed that most of the Island in Sierra Leone have been hugely impacted by climate change, adding that important landmark of the Island has been greatly disappeared. He urged the public to carefully manage and ensure sustainability of Islands in the country. He mentioned the disappearance of the islands in Sierra Leone has led to massive internal displacement noting that diversity mechanism is an important approach address climate change in the world. Developing countries are greatly affected by climate change and the resources to manage the issue are limited, he said. He discussed that there is an urgent need to develop policies to address climate change especially affected communities along the coastal line in the country.
He reiterated his agency’s commitment to mitigating climate change issues in the country. He emphasized that policy development is the pathway is the best to address internal mitigation and protect marginalized and vulnerable people in affected communities. He called on authorities in affected communities to be vigilant in the face of this adversity and urged to observe best practices in addressing climate change in the country.
The chiefdom Speaker of Plantain Island expressed profound gratitude to the NDMA and IDMC for conducting survey socio economic activities of his people in Plantain Island. He said the climate change has negatively impacted the health, security, education and socioeconomic livelihood of his people. He called on political actors and development partners to protect plantain and other Islands in the country. He noted that those Islands play significant role in promoting tourism sector of Sierra Leone. Climate change has disrupted teaching and many children have drop out of school he said.
Speaking at the event, Madam Chiara Valenti from IDMC said that many people have been losing homes and lands due to high sea level in coastal communities in Sierra Leone. She said that data was collected to examine the nexus between climate change and rising sea levels in those communities. She mentioned that displacement has significantly worsened housing conditions for people in Plantain Island and those in Shenge and Tissana. She further revealed that children’s education has also been disrupted as a result of displacement. She continued that there is serious health concerns on plantain Island and pneumonia malaria and tuberculosis common diseases affecting people in the island.
She highlighted that building an embankment or wall around the whole island may not be viable option but other communities in Sierra Leone have managed to reclaim some island from the sea using an indigenous approach. Nature-based approaches could slow the Island’s disappearance eg by planting trees to improve the soli resistance to erosion. This could be done by providing the Islanders with alternative to logging for livelihood she noted. She concluded that there is a need to improve connectivity between areas of displacement and places of work are essential for supporting the livelihoods and overall wellbeing of the people.
