The Sierra Leone Urban Research Centre (SLURC) has on Friday, January 21, 2022 held dialogue with different stakeholdersto share their experiences, identify solutions and develop proposals for the upgrading of informal settlement in the city of Freetown.
The Dialogue brought together different actors at the Young Men Christian Association (YMCA) hall in Freetown.
The discussion was held under the City Learning Platform (CiLP) with the initiative which operates through periodic meetings representing a variety of voices and organizations who are in constant collaboration with Community Learning Platforms (CoLP) that are setup at settlement level.
The Executive Director of SLURC, Dr. Joseph Macarthy said that the aim of engagement is to take concrete actions to improve the social, physical and environmental conditions of the lives of people living in informal settlements.
He said that residents over the years had made efforts to improve the conditions of informal settlements with the emergence of Community-Based Organizations.
“Federation of the Rural and Urban Poor (FEDURP) and the creation of community structures around saving groups, disaster risk management and action are planning processes which have played an integral part in finding solutions to upgrade informal settlements,” Dr. Macarthy said.
He also alluded to the fact thata large proportion of the Freetown’s population live in informal settlements, adding that the high concentration of the urban poor in such places results in accentuated vulnerabilities to economic insecurities, health and environmental hazard.
In his presentation, a consultant Dr. Alexandre AspanFrediani,cited that to achieve the intended target planning process they have to start at the lowest level,adding that it would upgrade the informal settlements to be sustainable.
He mentioned that responsive development initiatives would also be required from those that are directly affected, andespecially those living in informal settlements.
Dr. Frediani added that to strengthen existing network and deal with complex challenges at the same time requires coordination and engagement with community groups.
He added that zoning of areas also help in planning for water and sanitation.
The Planning Technician of the Freetown City Council (FCC), Sheikh Jannehsaid that low income and inadequate infrastructure to support agricultural activities in rural areas had caused people to live in coastal areas and embankments prone to disasters such as mud and landslides.
He also highlighted that inadequate provision of affordable housing and expensive cause of private housing had made informal settlers to damage the environment, natural habitats, and the ecosystem, including mangrove, forests reserves, river channels and water catchment areas.
By George M.O. Williams