By Mabinty M. Kamara
The Sierra Leone government has launched its Climate Change Adaptation Plan (CCAP) for coastal Landscape.
Minister of Environment, Foday Mariba Jaward, launched the document as part of commemoration of World Wetland Day on 6th February.
The document, according to officials, details the framework for a Climate Change Adaptation geared towards increasing the resilience of coastal communities across Sierra Leone and also offers a mechanism for implementing, tracking, evaluating, and communicating adaptation actions and results, which are critical to the climate change adaptation plan’s overall success.
The CCPA was developed under the West Africa Biodiversity and Climate Change program, with funds from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).
As a party to the Ramsar Convention, Sierra Leone commemorated this year’s Wetland Day on the theme: ‘Wetlands and Biodiversity’, at the British Council Hall in Freetown. Officials say it serves as a reminder to all stakeholders in the environment about the inextricable relationship that humans and wetlands share. Apart from being a natural habitat for marine species, wetlands also provide clean water, carbon storage, promote tourism, support human health and boost economies.
In his statement before the launch, the Environment Minister noted that the destruction of wetlands and other ecologically sensitive areas couldn’t be allowed to continue unabated, adding that the fight to sustainably manage the country’s wetlands was not a ‘one man’s fight’.
“The fight to protect wetland biodiversity heralded a significant milestone with the signing of the Ramsar Convention in the Iranian city of Ramsar on 2nd February 1971. Since 1997, the world has continued to celebrate the signing of the convention annually as a way of raising public awareness about the immense benefits that we derive from wetlands and also about the importance of conserving wetlands as well as their wise use,” Jaward said.
He added: “the rampant display of disregard for wetlands is manifested in several ways. These include but not limited to cutting down of mangroves, which are a form of carbon sink and breeding ground for fish; construction of buildings in wetland areas; unsustainable mining; embankments; dumping of waste; and the use of hazardous chemicals like mercury and other pollutants, which has led to a rapid decrease in marine life, significant water shortages, flooding and climate change.”
The Minister went on to say that the Sierra Leone River Estuary, which includes the Aberdeen Creek, was the only wetland area in the country recognized under the Ramsar convention.
“It is disturbing to note that the Aberdeen Creek and other wetlands across the country have suffered massive encroachment by members of the public, despite series of government actions against these encroachers. These government actions include the reforestation of the Aberdeen creek and the series of engagements with councils for the protection of wetlands in their respective cities and towns, especially Bo and Makeni which are prone to flooding,” he said.
Whiles stating government’s commitment to the protection of Wetland and the environment as a whole, Jaward noted that the adequate supply of pipe borne water particularly to residents in the Western Area continued to face serious challenges for government. He also noted that the wanton destruction of wetlands constituted a major contributor to the perennial issue of water shortage in the country.
“People continue to encroach on water catchment areas notwithstanding that some of these catchment areas are located in protected areas. However, the new Ministry of the Environment is presently collaborating with other MDAs like the Ministry of Water Resources, the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, the Ministry of Lands, Housing and Country Planning, the Environment Protection Agency, the National Protected Area Authority and the Guma Valley Water Company in other to work out sustainable solutions to resuscitate depleted water catchment areas,” he said.
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