30/05/2024
World Environment Day 5th June 2024
Theme: Accelerating land restoration, drought resilience, and desertification.
By Lyndon Baines-Johnson-Environmental Specialist
As the world prepares to celebrate World Environment Day this year on the 5th of June 2024, the focus is on land restoration, desertification, and drought resilience. Nations are facing degradation, desertification, and drought, and Sierra Leone is no exception with the increased frequency of flooding, landslides, and rising temperature. 2024 saw a remarkable increase in extreme heat, acute water shortages, and increased particulate matter in the atmosphere culminating in poor air quality.
The focus on land restoration is critical for Sierra Leone and Freetown in particular as our once lush vegetation that dressed our watershed areas is all gone, creating stress on the water table in the western area. There are only 7 YEARS OF WATER SUPPLY LEFT FOR FREETOWN if the current trend of deforestation continues.
Heat stress will continue to pose health risks and cardiovascular diseases will increase.
Deliberate Climate Actions and leadership are vital as we face a worrying intensification of the triple planetary crisis:
1. the crisis of climate change,
2. β the crisis of nature and biodiversity loss, and
3. β the crisis of pollution and waste.
This crisis is placing the worldβs ecosystems under assault. Billions of hectares of land are degraded, affecting almost half of the worldβs population and threatening half of global GDP. Rural communities, smallholder farmers, and the extremely poor are hit hardest.
But land restoration (tree planting) can reverse the creeping tide of land degradation, drought, and desertification.
Every dollar invested in restoration can bring up to US$30 in ecosystem services. Restoration can boost livelihoods, lowers poverty, and builds resilience to extreme weather. Restoration increases carbon storage and slows climate change. Restoring just 15% of land and halting further conversion could avoid up to 60% of expected species extinctions.
But we must also end the drivers of land degradation, drought, and desertification, such as climate change.
Last year temperature records were shattered this year. Much of the world felt the impacts, not just in the heat but in storms, floods, and drought. Restoring land without tackling climate change would be like giving with one hand and taking away with the other.
But there is REAL HOPE if we can act NOW. Countries have promised to restore one billion hectares, an area larger than China. If they deliver, this will be huge. But from the global stage, we can take local action.
1. Plant a Tree
2. Protect a Tree
3. Reduce, Reuse and Recycle plastics
The Environment is EVERYTHING
It is Health
It is Energy
It is Food Systems
How we produce, distribute and how we consume affects the environment.
What world are we leaving for our children and childrenβs children.
From the fireflies (dumbaekay) to the butterflies π¦
From the white nose monkeys to the tree squirrels πΏοΈ
We are loosing touch with nature we inherited. From the shrinking of our small village rivers to the pollution of our water sources, there is a worrying trend now witnessed. The complexion of the Tiai and the Pampana rivers is evident that our quest for economic gains will affect our childrenβs future.
Take Care and take Action.
