President Julius Maada Bio has said on Thursday that, the Government will plant in excess of 5 million trees in the next five years in order to change Sierra Leone’s “brown-neck” image as the third most vulnerable country to climate change, .
He made this statement in his speech during the State Opening of the Fifth Session of the Fifth Parliament of the Second Republic of Sierra Leone in the Chamber of Parliament Building, Tower Hill, Freetown.
President added that Sierra Leone has strengthened its mitigation and adaptation strategies, and through grants from partners like the Global Environmental Facility, they are strengthening institutional and technical capacities to implement the Paris Climate Agreement.
“We have installed four marine weather stations that are saving the lives of fishermen, sea transport workers, and coastal settlers. Nationally Appropriate Mitigation Actions (NAMA) have been developed; protected area management procedures have been enhanced; and Ecosystem Conservation systems and procedures have been put in place. Further measures will be brought to Parliament as necessary,” President Bio said.
President Bio cited that more than ever before, “Sierra Leone and the planet need us to step up and change the way we treat the environment”. “Our survival as humans depends on this. While protecting the environment is our collective responsibility, it is certainly the duty of governments and nations to lead the charge. My government remains committed to the sustainable management of forest resources and promoting sustainable environment protection,” President Bio said.
By George M.O. Williams