The annual United Nations (UN) climate meeting, known as the Conference of Parties or COP, is taking place this week in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
This 28th edition of the conference aims to facilitate constructive discussions among governments and citizens on strategies to mitigate and adapt to the challenges posed by climate change.
It is crucial for us to reflect on what this means for countries like ours.
Climate change is an undeniable reality. Sierra Leone is among the most vulnerable and severely affected countries by this phenomenon.
Though alarming, we must face this reality head-on. The threat posed by climate change surrounds us.
In recent times, we have witnessed devastating mudslides, claiming the lives of over a thousand compatriots in August 2017. Despite some flood mitigation efforts, our cities still face annual flooding. Rising sea levels pose a threat to our beaches.
In rural communities, rivers are drying up, and unpredictable rainfall patterns are adversely affecting our domestic food production. Water scarcity has reached record-high levels in several communities. In areas where wells were once dug eight or ten meters deep, they now need to reach twenty or twenty-five meters.
As grasslands dry up, insect populations are surging in many communities, posing a significant threat to our crops and public health. These threats are driving more people, particularly women and children, into extreme poverty.
Grazing areas for domestic animals are rapidly shrinking, leading to increased conflicts between cattle herders and farmers in districts such as Kambia, Falaba, and Kabala. As a result, more individuals are abandoning once-profitable livelihoods like farming and fishing and migrating to other regions. The rise in poverty levels, caused by climate change, has forced some to resort to burning charcoal for survival, leading to the rapid disappearance of our forests.
Climate change remains a significant challenge to both our food security and national security.
Fortunately, under the leadership of my husband, President Bio, Sierra Leone is making tremendous efforts in education, social justice, and the promotion of women’s and girls’ rights. Recognizing the impact of climate change, he established the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change for the first time, along with a special Presidential Initiative on Climate Change, Renewable Energy, and Food Security.
President Maada Bio has taken bold and ambitious steps to address climate change and food security. His previous efforts in education, social justice, and empowering women and girls have already yielded significant results within just five years. We have witnessed a notable increase in girls’ enrollment in schools, reforms in the justice system, and greater female participation in decision-making at the national level.
As the First Lady, I am well aware of the numerous challenges our country faces. Like my husband, my greatest aspiration is to see a prosperous Sierra Leone – a nation with sufficient domestically produced food, where women and girls feel safe, and where we can all coexist regardless of tribe, region, or political affiliation.
This vision for Sierra Leone is achievable for all of us. President Bio is already laying the groundwork for its realization. We are now on the path toward an ambitious food security effort.
However, achieving this goal will require collective effort from all citizens.
We must prioritize national-level discussions on climate change.
Engaging farmers in climate change adaptation techniques and demonstrating how such techniques can enhance local farming practices is essential. I urge the establishment of women-led farming initiatives in vulnerable communities, along with the provision of environmentally friendly irrigation systems that enable farming even during the dry season. This will significantly reduce their reliance on charcoal burning for survival and safeguard our forests. Initiatives to support women, schools, and youth groups across Sierra Leone must be considered. We should develop a comprehensive framework on climate change that incorporates youth groups, teachers, and religious and traditional leaders, making our efforts more impactful and sustainable.
Let us all become climate change champions.
By: H.E Dr. Fatima Maada Bio
First Lady of the Republic of Sierra Leone.