By Amin Kef Sesay
The 26th UN climate change conference of parties and world leaders is now in progress in Glasgow starting from the 31st October 2021 and to end on the 12th November 2021.
This medium was reliably informed that the conference is aimed at accelerating climate-related actions by parties and leaders concerning the Paris Agreement and the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change.
Climate change poses a fundamental threat to wildlife and man’s livelihood and survival. Humans and wildlife daily face new challenges to survive as a result of changes in the climate. The fight for the protection and well-being of the environment requires a holistic approach if we are to mitigate climate change challenges. The Government should not only be concerned with climate change challenges rather a well-developed programme should be in place to accurately respond to those challenges.
Around the world, natural disaster triggered by man’s activities continues to make climate change the greatest risk facing humans. Deforestation, air and land pollution continue to undermine food security and health challenges. These challenges are devastating and actions must be taken urgently to make communities safe and humane.
In Sierra Leone, deforestation is prominently becoming a high-risk climate change challenge. One of the many things we can commit to doing is to protect the forests. Forests are very important as they play a critical role in removing carbon from the air, provide and protecting water catchments for clean water. The forest is also home to amazing animals that maintain a balanced ecosystem. The losses and damages incurred from climate change have left many Sierra Leoneans unable to adapt to these changes. It is sad to note that the rate at which the remaining 5 per cent of forest cover is disappearing will lead to unforeseen disasters if timely actions are not taken. Meanwhile protecting and preserving habitats will strengthen our climate change approach to tackle changes in the climate.
Is Sierra Leone doing enough to navigate through climate change challenges and or ensure the environment is well protected? To a large extent No! Since State institutions are calling for environmental protection yet we see healthy forests disappearing out of greed and improper land-use planning. At the UN General Assembly on Climate Change in 2019, President Bio reiterated his administration’s reforestation plan among others as an effort to mitigate climate change challenges. The Government’s climate change mitigation plans are in shambles due to numerous factors. Our country still lacks an environmental policy that could land defaulters in jail. Stop the sentiments and actions. It is high time we give environment and climate change issues the premium they deserve. Since we are not one of the biggest emitters of carbon yet the clearing of forests coupled with the rise in sea levels will precipitate climate challenges.
Land grabbers and encroachers continue to clear pristine forests across the country. We see the western area peninsular forest on the verge of disappearing completely under the watchful eyes of state-environmental institutions. Furthermore, the lifting of the ban on timber export has also seen a rise in the destruction of forests.
It is true that Sierra Leone is vulnerable to climate change impacts and that if urgent actions are not taken we will experience drastic changes in agriculture/food production, access to clean water, a rise in disasters and human health issues. Meanwhile, people and communities vulnerable to climate change should be the topmost priority of the Government and world leaders in climate-change-decision making. Poor countries with limited resources to mitigate the impacts of climate change depend on donors to map out the necessary actions to be taken. This is unacceptable. There should be policies in place to address climate change impacts and the willingness to acknowledge and or take full responsibility for those changes.
If we are to prevent the life-threatening effects of climate change in Sierra Leone, we need to reduce the activities that trigger these changes in the environment. Our government must ensure to play a critical role in tackling climate challenges.
