The Mayor of Freetown City Yvonne Aki-Sawyerr delivered opening remarks at the urban shift Lab, the event was organized in collaboration with the UNEP, UNDP, World Bank and the African Development Bank in Freetown.
“It was a pleasure to deliver one of the opening remarks at the #UrbanShift Lab, which was done in partnership with World Resources Institute, C40 Cities, UNEP, UNDP, World Bank and ADB and supported by Global Environmental Facility,” Sawyer said
The two-day workshop, which happened on Tuesday and Wednesday, sought to trial an integrated urban planning process for Freetown on Urban Growth and Climate Risk with a focus on Moyiba, an informal settlement on the hills in the East End of Freetown. The workshop activities included an in-depth contextual analysis of Freetown, including the factors driving and the consequences of unplanned urban growth. It was followed by a site visit to the Moyiba community, a discussion of urban risks observed and proposed actions for making the community more resilient.
In my remarks, I continued to advocate for the devolution of land use planning and building permit functions to all local councils across the country as they are best placed to engage residents on the development of their communities and that councils can raise funds and build the capacity needed to enforce building regulations through property rates. The current absence of development controls will result in more informal settlements mushrooming and more people being exposed to increased vulnerabilities.
The workshop also demonstrated the use of geospatial data and evidence to inform decision-makers to improve quality of life and urban sustainability. The workshop was attended by representatives from various MDAs including the Ministry of Lands, Ministry of Western Region, Environment Protection Agency, National Protected Area Agency, Sierra Leone Meteorological Agency and also from academia and the development sector. Maps showing the urban explosion in certain parts of Freetown over the last five years and the related climatic risks on residents were presented for policy makers.
Grateful to have had our representatives including our Development and Planning Officer, Abdul-Karim Marah; Councillor of Ward 419, Solomon Kamara; and members of the Urban Shift team at council be an integral part of this workshop.
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