June 8, 2021
By Aruna Kamara in Bo
The Focal Person for Pan African Climate Justice Alliance (PACJA) Sierra Leone Chapter, Henry David Bayoh has called on the government to take stringent action against those bent on destroying the ecosystem in the country.
He said that there should be effective implementation of the laws on environmental protection.
He made this statement during a debate competition among Schools in Bo over the weekend, at the OASK Junior Secondary School in Bo, marking the celebration of the World Environment Day, June 5 on the theme “Ecosystem Restoration”.
The programme was organized by the Climate Change and Sustainable Development Consortium and Pan African Climate Justice Alliance Sierra Leone Chapter.
Mr. Bayoh said that United Nations put aside June 5 every year to encourage awareness and environmental protection and celebration of this day which provides us with an opportunity to broaden the basis for an enlightened opinion and responsible conduct by individuals, enterprises, and communities in preserving and enhancing the environment.
He added that the day is celebrated by engaging governments, businesses, celebrities and citizens to focus their efforts on addressing the pressing environmental issues in the country.
Dilating on the theme ‘Ecosystem Restoration’ he said it is very key for human existence, pointing out that an ecosystem is a community of plants and animals interacting with each other in a given area, and also with their non-living environments and that the non-living environments include weather, earth, sun, soil, climate and atmosphere.
The ecosystem relates to the way that all these different organisms live in close proximity to each other and how they interact with each other.
Ecosystem restoration Mr. Bayoh said, is preventing, halting, and reversing this damage; to go from exploiting nature to healing it, and that restoration can happen in many ways for example through actively planting or by removing pressures so that nature can recover on its own.
According to him, all kinds of ecosystems can be restored; including forests, farmlands, cities, wetlands, and oceans and restoration initiatives can be launched by almost anyone, from governments and development agencies to businesses, communities, and individuals.
Mr. Bayoh said that because the causes of degradation are many and varied, and can have an impact at different scales and degradation may result from harmful policies such as subsidies for intensive farming or weak tenure laws that encourage deforestation.
He added that adding Lakes and coastlines can become polluted because of poor waste management and industrial activities.
He said that they have embarked on public education on the protection of the environment and that was the reason they organized a debate competition for the school going children in Bo to help educate their fellow students on the restoration of the Ecosystem.
“If we want children to flourish, to become truly empowered, let us allow them to love the earth before we ask them to save it.”
“No one will protect what they don’t care about, and no one will care about what they have never experienced”.Mr. Bayoh said.
He thanked the pupils and their teachers for preparing their children to take part in the competition, whiles pointing out that Elizabeth M. Jalloh of OAKS Junior Secondary School came first while Mohamed Kandeh of the Inslamic Kulafai Secondary school came second.
The third position went to Bockarie D. Massaquoi of OAKS Junior Secondary School while Musa K. Brima of the Islamic Kulafai Secondary School clinched the fourth position respectively.
The first debater, Elizabeth M. Jalloh told this, medium that he is going to be an ambassador for environment protection and will make sure he passes on the knowledge in his community to ensure that the ecosystem is restored.
“In my village I will tell my parents to plant ten trees every day whenever they cut one’’ He disclosed.
He said everybody including religious leaders should come on board to preach the sound message of “Ecosystem Restoration” to enhance existence on planet earth and further called on the United Nations and the government of Sierra Leone to give support to PACJA to engage more schools across the country on Ecosystem restoration.