Sierra Leone has one of the highest rainfalls in the world. Over the past five years, at least four major floods have affected over 220,000 people across the country and death, destruction and severe economic damage. Freetown is particularly prone to floods because of uncontrolled and uncoordinated human activities like deforestation, slum settlements along water ways and hill tops and poor waste management that block drainages and other water ways.
In August last year, over 500 people were killed by mudslides and flash floods in Regent and about 500 more remain unaccounted for. The annual average flood damage in the capital city has been estimated to be as high as $2.5 million USD a year.
The Freetown City Council (FCC) yesterday launched its flood mitigation plan as part of its efforts to reduce flooding in the city and lessen the attendant humanitarian, health and economic impact on residents as the rainy season sets in.
The FCC will raise awareness on the impacts of poor waste management on the environment. It will further embark on a rigorous 15-day cleaning exercise in especially disaster prone areas of Freetown, and work on drains, gutters and culverts.
They are encouraging communities to develop their own flood mitigation plans and strengthen enforcement to prevent disposal of waste in gutters, culverts and waterways.
Theodor Bailey, a community volunteer in Brookfields, pointed out that unless proper structural and engineering solutions are applied efforts by the Council will not be sustainable.
Bailey recalled similar community efforts to limit flooding along Bass Street in Brookfields but those exercises and plans did not yield meaningful results. He added that flooding will continue to occur as long the poor drainage infrastructures and maintenance are not addressed to allow the free flow of water.
“We have been engaging in similar exercises over the years as youth volunteers, but because of the culverts are too small it’s easy to get blocked from the muds up the hills. When there is heavy rainfall, the water overflows and water enters people’s dwellings. Maybe if the culverts could be removed, there will a free flow of water and people will not be affected by the flooding, which occurs when the culverts get blocked,” he stated.
Ejatu Sesay, a resident in the area, spoke about the inadequate waste collection management in western urban area as being a key factor to undermine the work of the Council. She added that people will continue to dispose of their waste in drainages and gutters, which will contribute to flooding.
Commenting on the plan, Mayor Yvonne Aki-Sawyerr, said, “Flooding in Freetown is a regular problem during the rainy season. We know the causes – heavy rainfall, deforestation, building on the banks of streams, inadequate garbage collection and the inadequate design of the existing drainage infrastructure as well as poor maintenance.”
“Preparedness is crucial in ensuring the safety of residents of any community, in the event of an emergency,” said Hamid El-Bashir, UNICEF Representative to Sierra Leone. “We are supporting the City Council in this initiative to help ensure clean environments for the people of Freetown, and prevent flood related disasters and disease outbreaks that usually have heavy tolls on especially women and children.”
Prior to the development of the plan, representatives from the FCC, RSLAF and SLRA had mapped out flood prone communities with strategies for reduction.
The FCC’s flood reduction operation is also supported by World Food Program, the Chinese Embassy, Catholic Relief Services, Sierra Leone Red Cross, GOAL, UNOPS, G4S, Office of National Security and Ministry of Health and Sanitation.
SV/20/6/18
By Sylvia Villa
Thursday June 21, 2018.
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