March 23, 2021
One environmental disaster that has been reported by the Environment Minister Professor Foday Jaward is the sinking of Yeliboya. Years of erosion had progressively contributed to the receding the land level and it is a matter of time the sea is going to permanently take over what used to be Yeliboya. The fishing community is home to two thousand inhabitants who are pretty prone to the danger that has been brought to light.
What we are witnessing is something that must have been captured in early warning signals and it could not only be concern about Yeliboya but other island settlements.
This is what the UN Country Common Report 2020 states: Climate change is one of the key factors that stand in the way of Sierra Leone’s environmental sustainability. Sierra Leone’s coastal areas are projected to be adversely affected by future incidences of inundation, waterlogging, increased flooding, erosion, and salinization due to sea-level rise.
The projections are now catching up with us. It is therefore in the best interest of the country that this government created an environment minister that has hit the ground running. The identification of the environmental danger that Yeliboya represents is a commendable feat; lest it would become a disaster that erupts as a catastrophe akin to the Motormeh flash floods.
Luckily, the government is not taking chances with environmental threats and the sector is witnessing high level political support inter-ministerial engagements and international goodwill from development partners. We recognize the fact that for us to be environmentally secure, the interconnections of sectors must be appreciated to draw on synergy building in enforcement of policies. For instance the notorious incidents of cutting mangroves, sand mining have to be curtailed by coast guards and other law enforcement agencies. We must equally consider the moribund laws that must be reviewed and upgraded to conform to international standards.
The refernced UN Report even buttressed this point when it notes that: The interconnected nature of these elements necessitates a multidimensional approach to accelerate progress towards the SDGs. As such, progress or regress in one area may have significant impact in other areas. The structural challenges and underlying causes of poverty and food insecurity in Sierra Leone need to be addressed sustainably, while ensuring inclusion of the most vulnerable populations.
It is heart warming that the Vice President Juldeh Jalloh has just launched the Conservation Trust Fund and there is serious progress in the area of tree planting. The EU has pledged increaaed support in the environmental preservation strides. These are positive developments that must be sustained.
Now, that Yeliboya has become a test case about the efficacy of the systems we are putting in place for environmental protection, we must as a nation be considering the human rights imperatives that are stake. Questions about the befitting relocation plans for the two thousand inhabitants are begging for answer.
The answer we have obtained is the willingness of the inhabitants of the fishing community to relocate. It has been disclosed that the Office of National Security Disaster Management Unit is engaging the inhabitant to move the people with accompanying package that will not create humanitarian disaster and even unrest.