The Ministry of Environment through the support of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) has on Tuesday 31st August 2021 validates national climate change policy.
In his keynote address, the Deputy Minister of Environment Steven Cyril Jusu noted that the policy they are validating now is in line with the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and the National Medium-Term Development Plan of the New Direction government. Which took climate change issues very seriously as they have manifested that over the year by reviewing number of policies and legislation to enable the country address climate change related issues. Adding that the new revised policy aims to address range of problems surrounding climate change such as carbon emission, deforestation coupled with other human activities that affect sustainable management of environment and the climate.
Founder/CEO of Shout Climate Change Africa Finnex John Asibor described climate change as war against humanity and the earth, this according to him it is worse than the COVID-19 pandemic the world is battling with.Therefore, addressing climate change problems must be a business of everyone, in which he urged all players hands to be on deck to fight this common enemy that is hunting all of us. He continued that we must not be carried away by our achievements and selfish interest, such as the sky scrapers, carsairplanes, money and all the glamour in the world when disaster struck, all will be taken away in few minutes . Adding that we should pay attention to our environment than the achievements.He ended by encouraging all of us to find way to change our activities that cause climate change, noting the world must be protected for our safety, children, generation yet unborn and other living organism who may need this environment we are in charge now.
Deputy Director General of Sierra Leone Meteorological Agency Gabriel Kpaka highlighted on the negative effect of climate change as the rainfall pattern has changed, adding the country is experiencing deficit rainfall which in turn affect agricultural produce. All as result of human activities causing unpredicted climate change, alsotemperature is rising which is not good for our comfort.
Director of Environment Protection Agency (EPA-SL) Momodu A Bah described climate change as threat to national development, adding that if not address it will undermine the Medium-Term National Development Plan of the government, therefore encouraged inclusive implementation of the policy. He also noted that it is timely and important for us to have comprehensive climate change policy that will stand for test of time.
