By Prince J Musa in Kenema
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has engaged stakeholders in a one-day regional Climate Transparency dialogue session in Kenema.
EPA’s Director of Climate Change, Emmanuel Tamba Nyaka said the engagement was to look at sustainable environmental management in Sierra Leone and related factors affecting the people.
He noted that climate change is real as seen in the flooding of urban areas and island Communities, changes in the weather patterns, and resurgence of pests and diseases that are affecting agricultural productivity. He said the country should not wait for international partners to solve the problems of climate change.
He noted that as a country that has signed several international protocols on environmental management on climate change mitigation, it should brace up in addressing its challenges and cope with its difficulties. He added that any climate change reporting should be done in a transparent manner with due consideration for capacity building.
Nyaka pointed out that four guidelines have been developed that will help reduce greenhouse gases since science has proven that climate change is caused by the emission of greenhouse gases into the air, causing high temperatures on the planet. He mentioned waste management, energy, transport, land use as well as industrial processing and manufacturing as some key contributing factors to climate change.
Climate Change Officer- Sierra Leone Meteorological Agency (SLMet), Peter Rogers spoke about the capacity gaps in environmental management and was hopeful that the training will help participants and the general public to be accountable and transparent on all climate change actions. He pleaded that the participants take the training seriously so that it can be implemented in their various institutions.
EPA Assistant Director at the Climate Change Secretariat, Lovetta Yatta Juanah told the gathering that they have developed a national implementation plan to help build systems for reporting on climate change mitigation measures in line with the United Nation’s Convention on climate change.
She expected participants and agencies to do justice to the dialogue by implementing the guidelines being developed at their institutions and forwarding the reports for input into the database which is the hub for such information controlled by the EPA.
Presentation of the four Key guidelines on greenhouse gases and reactions from participants on critical climate change issues especially data management systems formed high points of the event.
Copyright © 2023 Politico (02/10/23)
