Paul Lengar, Country Representative Platform for Advocacy, Research and Capacity Building for NGO’s in Africa said in 2015 PRONG got a collaboration with the Copenhague Consensus Center to organize a youth national forum for the assessment of the Sustainable Development Goals most intelligent targets accelerating partnerships with the governement of Guinea and other Technical and Financial Partners. Since 2015, PRONG is getting more Leadership in Guinea sharing its experiences and contributing to the developement of Guinea and African countries through development Projects and making consultation for enhaning the different policies and programs on poverty réduction, inequality and Climate Change in Western Africa.
PRONG aims to impacts all the countries in Africa by 2030.
During the launching ceremony, over 40 youth leaders and representative from both government and international non-governmental organisations were present. INGO representation were from UNPOS Sierra Leone and HOME LEONE. Office of National Security, Pikin Bizness, and WASH-Net Sierra Leone, were also represented. And statement on various environmental Hazards ranging from Water Resourse Management, Illigal Sand Mining, Waste Management, Eco Housing, and Climate Risk and Emergency Response were presented by various speakers at the event.
Dr. Adonis Abboud, Founder and CEO Pikin Bizness during the event stated the nagative impacts of illegal sand mining in Sierra Leone, stating that our beautiful country Sierra Leone (Lion Mountains) commands one of the world’s largest natural harbours and beautiful mountainous peaks.
And as a matter of fact, the waterways stretching along the Freetown peninsula, among others, are nature’s gifts to the capital of Freetown. He further mentioned that those beaches have not only been violated, even the mountains and valleys which used to echo the cry of our beautiful nation, virtually lies in ruins as we trade the ashes of a stunning past, for an uncoordinated and selfish present and at the expense of the future.
He highlighted that, globally, 3.2 billion people are affected by land degradation especially rural communities, smallholder farmers, and the very poor. The world population is projected to increase by about 35 percent to 9.7 billion in 2050, with rising demands for agricultural products including food, feed, fibre, and fuel.
John V. Rogers, Director, Disaster Management Department in his presentation gave the risk and climate impact on Sierra Leone since 2014, pointing out that ONS the core elements that constitute governments’ effort in addressing disaster preparedness, mitigation response and recovery through the adoption of best practices and methodologies with the objective of ensuring human security of the population of Sierra Leone.
According to him, Sierra Leone is faced with common challenges such as: CLIMATIC HAZARDS: Floods, water shortage, extreme heat, thunder, wind storm, lightening etc GEOLOGICAL HAZARDS: Landslide, Mudslides, rock falls, and erosion. SOCIAL HAZARDS: Demonstration, strikes, conflict and poverty. EPIDEMIC HAZARD: Ebola, Cholera, measles, HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis. HUMAN INDUCED HAZARDS: Accidents, deforestation, waste management, depletion of catchment areas, collapse buildings.
He further stated that all these challenges are due to human interaction with the environment which is based on Unplanned urbanization around the country, Poor solid Waste Management practices, Blocked drainage facilities, Deforestation, Land reclamation along the coastal strip, Stone mining in catchment areas, Sand mining along the sea front
