By Saio Marrah
The Ministry of Basic and Senior Secondary Education (MBSSE), together with Non- Governmental Organizations have engaged pupils from various schools in Freetown and other young people on the impact of climate change. The engagement took place at Saphyre Court hall in Freetown, on Tuesday 9th November 2021.
School children and other young people were educated on the causes and impact of climate change. The event provided the youngsters the opportunity to interface with authorities and suggest what needed to be done on issues related to global warming.
Policy and Advocacy Manager of Action Aid Sierra Leone, Aminata Kelly Lamin told the gathering that since industrial countries mostly contribute to carbon emission into the atmosphere, they should pay their fair share for the pollution so that poorer countries that are feeling its impact can use proceeds to mitigate the effects of climate change.
She said they invited the pupils, many of whom are girls because they feel the impact of climate change the most, and having become conscious about it, they should help in their little ways to mitigate it. She also pointed out that government should implement and monitor the laws about environmental issues.
The Head of Programmes and Policy at Action Aid, Mohamed A Fofana, in his statement, noted that climate change is a new phenomenon because it is an agenda of discussion globally and a threat to the life of human being. He said world leaders are concerned about the emission of carbon which he said is depleting and destroying the ozone layer and exposing the planet to direct sun rays. He said climate change has led to global warming and unusual weather condition, with normal rainfall not being experienced and the sun rays abnormal.
He said that has cost the low production of crops, and high demands with farmers no more able to predict the weather condition.
Fofana told the participants that shortage of food in their homes will make them drop out of school and attributed erosions, droughts, as well as epidemics to the disruption of the ozone layer..
He said the more the cutting down of trees in Sierra Leone, the more the country is exposed to disasters and called for individual responsibility.
The Programme Manager of Conservation Society-Sierra Leone, Edward Sesay, said cutting down of trees in the forests limit human survival. He called for all to advocate for biodiversity so that the environment can be protected. According to him, as the governments around the globe are making commitment, all they want to see now is action.
Some of the school children questioned why logging and the timber trade remain legalized despite cutting down of trees contribute to climate change, and also what can be done for people who depend on charcoal business for a livelihood, if burning of wood for coal is to be stopped. The Senior Environment Officer of Environmental Protection Agency, Mohamed Abdulai Kamara, in reaction said when a tree is cut; they should plant three and care for them for one year but acknowledged that the implementation and monitoring aspect of such a law remains a challenge.
An official from the Ministry of Basic and Senior Secondary Education explained about government’s moratorium on logging so that the younger trees can grow as well.
The Deputy Minister of Basic and Senior Secondary Education, Emily Gorgra later spoke to journalists, saying their objective in organizing the event was to make sure the school children sensitize their colleagues about the impact of climate change. She also spoke about the ministry’s introduction of subjects such as Civic Education and Environmental Studies and the planting of trees and flowers in schools to fight climate change.
Copyright © Politico Online 12/11/21
