By: Finnex J Asibor
The Sea is coming, taking our land gradually if action is not taken now, one day we will wake up and realize that the sea has taken our land even if it costs us fortune, we will not be able to reclaim the land back from the sea. All that will be left especially in Freetown will be the hills, so urgent action is needed now to protect the sea from taking our land, especially our most tourist attracted area Aberdeen-Lumley beach. Years ago, the beach was far from the road, but now the sea is less than a meter to the road around the Freetown gulf club area and 95% of Aberdeen-Lumley creek mangroves have been destroyed for building construction. The encroachers refused to accept that the creek area is not meant for building construction and residential purposes. Destroying mangroves for buildings leads to coastal erosion and loss of land. Mangroves act as a shield. They protect communities from floods, big waves and storm surges. When mangroves are cut down fish lose their breeding and nursery areas. The pattern is well documented around Aberdeen Creek specifically. Urbanization in the area has driven the degradation of mangroves and the broader destruction of the wetland surrounding the creek, as land reclamation locally known as “banking” has expanded to meet housing demand, often with little regard for the ecological services the mangroves provide. Shout Climate Change Africa notes this has left the city more exposed to flooding and eroded the natural resilience the wetlands once offered. This harms the lives of fishing and coastal communities. It also causes the loss of wildlife and biodiversity. Mangroves store carbon. When they are destroyed this carbon is released into the air making climate change worse. Building and land reclamation also pollute water. Increase sediment in the sea. All of this puts’ communities the environment, buildings and future generations at greater risk. If we don’t protect our coastline from rising sea levels coastal erosion will speed up. Valuable land will disappear. Homes, roads, businesses and other important infrastructure near the coast could be Lost forever. Flooding and storm surges will become more dangerous for people living in low-lying areas. Mangroves, beaches, wetlands these vital ecosystems will keep disappearing. Without mangroves there will be natural protection from waves, storms and erosion. Fish breeding areas will be ruined, leading to fish and a loss of marine life. Coastal communities could lose their jobs, their food. Be forced to move. Saltwater may enter freshwater sources and farmland. This makes drinking water harder to get and farming more difficult. Tourism and economic activities, in areas will suffer. Beaches and attractions will fall into ruin. If we do nothing today future generations will face land, fewer natural resources and more risks from climate change. They may have to move from the coast completely. We must act now before it’s too late.
