In response to heavy rains and escalating coastal flood risks, Mayor Yvonne Aki-Sawyerr of Sierra Leone’s capital, Freetown, has announced plans to demolish structures on reclaimed land, particularly in the Kroo Bay area.
Addressing residents in Kroo Bay, Mayor Aki-Sawyerr shared the Council’s strategy to mitigate flooding and environmental degradation.
“As the heavy rains continue and the risk of significant coastal flooding increases, I engaged members of the Kroo Bay community today,” she stated in a social media post. “We will be demolishing large structures primarily built by ‘landlords’ on illegal ‘banking’ and replacing them with 75,000 mangroves.”
The Mayor highlighted that the illegal “banking” consists of waste deposits that pollute the ocean and litter beaches.
The demolition of these structures is scheduled for Friday, August 9th, with the cooperation of the Ministries of Environment, Local Government, and Lands, along with the National Disaster Management Agency (NDMA) and the Sierra Leone Roads Authority (SLRA).
Following the demolition, the Council will initiate the planting of 75,000 mangroves as part of the #FreetownTheTreeTown project. “Over 200 Kroo Bay community members will be employed for an initial period of one year to plant and monitor the growth of the mangroves,” Aki-Sawyerr added.
The initiative aims to address environmental concerns while providing employment opportunities and fostering community involvement in the fight against climate change.
