6.11 Discussion: What are the future climate risks where you live?

 

My country Sierra Leone has been considered as one of the vulnerable countries to suffer from the impacts of climate change and exposed to further risks. Sierra Leone is projected to experience a range of impacts from climate change in the coming decades, including increased temperatures, changes in precipitation patterns, and more frequent extreme weather events such as droughts and floods.

The country is within west Africa, and for any huge impact may affect the country. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report for west Africa countries, including Sierra Leone on temptation rise are projected to increase by between 1.5°C and 3°C by mid-century (IPCC, 2018). This increase in temperature will affect the following significant sectors in

Sierra Leone.

Agriculture: Sierra Leone population rely on agriculture as source of food and livelihoods,

The country is richer with underground and surface water resources for drinking and industrial activities. These quality and quantity of these water sources will be affected by extreme high temperature

Public health issues.: owning to the fact that the people rely on the water sources to are projected to be reduced in quality and quantity will affect the public health, increase I water borne diseases, water scarce leading to dehydration, poor hygiene etc..

Changes in rainfall patterns are also expected to impact the country. With the IPCC projecting a decrease in overall rainfall in West Africa during the dry season and an increase in heavy rainfall events during the wet season could lead to increased risk of both drought and flooding in the country (IPCC, 2018).

Sierra Leone is a coastal country that is at risk of sea level rise. The coastal shore is a habitat of majority of the country’s population and many investments in touristic infrastructures.  According to a report by the World Bank, sea levels along the West African coast are projected to rise by between 0.3 and 0.5 meters by the end of the century, with potentially significant impacts on coastal erosion, flooding, and saltwater intrusion (World Bank, 2018).

Overall, the impacts of climate change in Sierra Leone are likely to be significant and wide-ranging, requiring comprehensive adaptation and mitigation efforts to address. However, it is important to note that climate projections are subject to uncertainty, and future impacts may vary depending on a range of factors, including the level of global greenhouse gas emissions and regional efforts to adapt and mitigate climate change.

References:

Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) (2018). Global Warming of 1.5°C. https://www.ipcc.ch/sr15/

World Bank (2018). West Africa Coastal Areas Management Program (WACA). https://www.worldbank.org/en/topic/coastalresilience/brief/west-africa-coastal-areas-management-program-waca