AYV News, August 1, 2024
Deputy Executive Director of the National Disaster Management Agency (NDMA), John Vandy Rogers has said various factors including human activities are highly responsible for the flooding in Freetown. He blamed people clogging waterways with filth, deforestation and unsustainable building practices such as building on waterways as those responsible for the flooding.
Mr. Rogers revealed that the NDMA, with support from the engineering regiment of Republic of Sierra Leone Armed Forces has cleared disaster-prone areas, especially in Regent and Wellington, to mitigate flooding risks.
He said the NDMA collaborates with institutions such as the SLRA, FCC and the Meteorological Agency to plan and prepare disaster responses, adding that based on the Meteorological Agency’s forecast of heavy rains for July, August and September, the NDMA has conducted risk assessments and heightened preparedness levels to mitigate potential disasters.
Speaking on efforts to combat Deforestation and Flooding, Mayor of Freetown, Her Worship Yvonne Aki Sawyer, cited a WFP study indicating that 550 hectares of protected forest in WARD-C were lost in 2023, with an additional 520 hectares lost in the first four months of 2024.
She expressed concern over the massive deforestation, leading to soil erosion from the mountains to the streets, which clogs water channels. Mayor Aki Sawyer urged citizens to cease deforestation activities.
To mitigate floods she said, the FCC has engaged 2,663 young people in various communities across 60 flashpoints, spending NLe500,000 so far. Additionally, the FCC employs 843 individuals to sweep 180 streets in Freetown daily. The FCC has planted 977,000 trees to combat deforestation, with support from the World Bank to plant an additional 300,000 trees, including 200,000 mangroves.