July 26, 2021
By: Francis F.M.Harding
The Sierra Leone Meteorological Agency (SLMet) and the Institute of Marine Biology and Oceanography (IMBO) with funding from United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) has started a five days training for technical staff on adapting to climate change induced coastal risks management in Sierra Leone at Saphyre Court Off Kingharman Road Freetown on the 21st July, 2021.
Introducing the resource persons Mr. Gibril Kpaka, the Deputy Director of the Sierra Leone Meteorological Agency said that the training is focusing on the Marine sector. He said the marine sector includes the ocean, sea, rivers and as people are living much close to the water they are using the sea for fishing. He said what is happening in the sea must be known and analysis must be proffered before going forward.
He said the training is for technical staff from fisheries, maritime, IMBO, EPA, Office of National Security and Disaster Unit. He said they will be trained on what is happening at the sea, and how they will be able to adopt, how to forecast to know the temperature of water that will help researchers. He said they have a sea wall at Bonthe and other areas.
Mr Kpaka continued to say when it comes to weather forecast they as an agency has the responsibility to act.
He further said that if someone wants to give weather forecast the individual must have his licenses from an accredited United Nations (UN) body. He continued to say that the agency is doing the forecast, it is for people to understand about what is been forecasted.
He said the training will help staff to understand the content as they will be providing training with manual and apps, and an individual with a smart phone can be able to down load it and use it.
He stated that they are training thirty five participants from each of the institutions mentioned above. He explained that participants have to do a site visit to the marine weather stations. He continued that over the years people asked whether the information they are using is factual. He said for them to break that link they will work with relevant agencies. He said the first three days will focus on theoretical aspect and they will be divided into groups due to the COVID-19 restriction as they would have to visit maritime, meteorological agency.
In his presentation Dr. Reynold G. Johnson senior lecturer department of geography, Fourah Bay College, University of Sierra Leone presented on the topic ‘Understanding the Basics of Climate Change.
In his presentation he said weather is the condition of the atmosphere over a short period of time, or is the day to day state of atmosphere in terms of temperature, moisture content and air movements. He said climate can be basically defined as the average weather condition over a long period of time. Rainfall in monsoon season, cold in winter is regarded as the climate.
He also presented on the greenhouse effect, global warming, the main greenhouse gases and their consequences. Presenters will be given different topics ranging from changes in sea level during the tertiary and quaternary period, late and post glacial changes in sea level, present change in sea level, seasonal fluctuations in sea level, science of sea level changes and their applications, the tidal phenomenon: basic notions, measurement of tides; tidi pole, tide gauges, sea level: change and challenges, data collection techniques and group work for day one.
The workshop will continue until the 27th July, 2021.