Disaster Management Recommendations made to the Government of Sierra Leone and relevant State Institutions
By the FBC Whatsapp forum-1 (One)
September 2022
Table of Contents
A. Introduction
B. Recommendations
C. Our Expectation
D. Key Contributors
E. The Compilation Team
A. Introduction
The public would recall that in August 2022, there was a continuous downpour of rains in Freetown and its environs, specifically from 15 to 19 August. Consequently, Freetown became the site of yet another flooding disaster. According to the National Disaster Management Agency (NDMA), four men, a woman, and a seven-year-old girl died in the Looking Town area when buildings on a mountainside were submerged by a mudslide during heavy rains, destroying homes and business facilities. Two other men were killed in the Mount Aureol and Blackhall Road areas when barriers collapsed on their residential home. According to the Agency’s spokesman – Mohamed Bah, more than 800 people were displaced due to flooding in the Colbert areas, and a lot more in other affected areas like the Kaningo, Kroo-Bay and Tengbeh town communities. These events captured the attention of users of the FBC Alumni WhatsApp Forum-1, a Think Tank WhatsApp group that shares ideas on national issues affecting the welfare of citizens. As a result, the August flooding in Freetown was tabled for discussions. The following recommendations were made to the government for the attention of the National Disaster Management Agency (NDMA), Ministry of Environment, Ministry of Lands, Housing and Country Planning, and Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
B. Recommendations
1. Politicising Government Policies
1.1. The public should support the government in implementing preventive measures against inhabitants of disaster-prone areas in Freetown. To this end, citizens should refrain from politicising such policy moves.
1.2. The central government and the elected Mayor of Freetown should work together to coordinate priorities and expedite policy implementation in addressing disaster-prone areas’ mitigation and preventive needs. They should refrain from demonising or blaming each other to accomplish this goal.
1.3. Government should set up a robust monitoring team at the community level to ensure that no one builds any structure in prohibited areas. This monitory team should collaborate with the town planning department at the Ministry of Lands and Housing.
2. Disaster-Prone Areas
2.1. All disaster-prone areas should be prohibited from being inhabited by whomsoever.
2.2. Illegal buildings in disaster-prone areas should be demolished with immediate effect.
2.3. The building inspectorate is to be reactivated and capacitated to conduct inspections of current housing disaster-prone areas and supervise any new building construction.
2.4. Those living in disaster-prone areas should be compulsorily removed and relocated to less fragile areas. However, in this case, the government should establish special community development solutions to improve the quality of life and economic well-being of people relocated from disaster-prone areas.
2.5. Enforce policies and laws that mitigate disaster. This includes demolishing houses behind the green belt on the hills, demolishing Kroo Bay Slum and implementing innovative engineering works for other purposes.
3. National Disaster Management Agency (NDMA)
3.1. Government to strengthen the National Disaster Management Agency by recruiting more experts and funding it well to discharge its responsibilities.
3.2. The Disaster Management Agency should be kept lean and slim. Its job should be to garner resources from local and international quarters and outsource the necessary projects to NGOs and consultants. The crucial role of NDMA should be supervisory to ensure the splendid realisation of projects that will mitigate or entirely prevent disasters.
3.3. Map and invest in training disaster risk preparedness and response volunteers nationwide and provide seed resources seasonally to support response efforts (Especially during the rains).
3.4. Strengthen the existing concept of ’ Disaster Risk Reduction starts in schools’ and make DRR part of the national school curriculum.
4. Community Self-help Projects
4.1. Communities should implement mitigation projects in different districts of the country in collaboration with Central and Local Governments, NGOs, and specialised agencies. It is prudent that those who reside in disaster-prone areas should lead in disaster prevention projects.
4.2. A special Environment Preservation task force be set up with a mandate to produce actionable proposals for slowing the destruction of our environment. Alternatively, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) can be tasked to produce the plan if one does not exist.
5. Tree Planting on Hillsides
5.1. An immediate ban be placed on felling trees on hillsides
5.2. A massive tree planting exercise should be conducted on the hills and mountains along the Freetown peninsula.
6. Sand Mining
6.1. Active consideration should be given to banning sea sand for housing construction. This will have to be implemented over time because it will require a shift to using river sand and mud bricks.
7. Waste Management Projects
7.1. Put in place a robust waste management system in the city, which includes cleaning at night with modern equipment, not women sweeping the streets with a hand broom.
7.2. Re-design some main drainage systems that allow daily inspection and cleaning.
7.3. A ban is placed on the production, importation, and use of single-use plastics. As shining examples, this has been done in many countries, including African countries like Kenya and Rwanda.
8. Public Alert System
8.1. The Sierra Leone Meteorological Agency (SLMeT) operates modern equipment that predicts and can even pre-model weather disasters before they happen. National Disaster Management Agency (NDMA) should use the SLMeT data to guide where and when to evacuate our citizens before floods and mudslides occur in their localities.
8.1. The Sierra Leone Meteorological Agency (SLMeT) should issue out warning when hazardous weather poses an immediate threat to life or property. Such emergency alerts should be sent via Cell Broadcast Distribution to mobile phones and social media.
C. Our expectation
We hope these recommendations will be translated into national policy actions that will serve as a deterrent to similar flooding disasters. Against this backdrop, FBC Alumni WhatsApp Forum-1 representatives will formally present these recommendations to government institutions responsible for disaster management reduction in our country.
D. Key contributors
This document is produced by the FBC Alumni WhatsApp Forum-1. However, the following people were the key contributors to its content.
1. Marian Sia Nyuma-Moijueh
2. Ivan O’ Brien-Coker
3. Abu Bakarr B. Koroma Esq
4. Alimamy Sarafila Marah
5. Gibril Koroma
6. Dr. Braima Dama James
7. Dr. Julius Spencer
8. Lawrence Bassie
9. Patrick Williams
10. Dr. Sylvia Olayinka Blyden (OOR)
11. Ing. Memuna Kumba Jalloh (FSLIE)
12. Teddy Foday-Musa
E. Compilation team
A team of six constituted the compilation team, charged with the mandate to compile the received recommendations. Below are the team members:
Gibril Koroma (Chairman)
Marian Sia Nyuma-Moijueh (Secretary)
Dr. Brima Dama James (Member)
Konima Barchelle -Taylor (Member)
Ing. Paul Saffa (Member)
Teddy Foday-Musa (Member)
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