In my country, Sierra Leone, we have only just begun to fully recover from the devastation of Ebola. Yet now the floods and resulting mudslides witnessed in Freetown in August are estimated to have killed approximately 1,000 people, with new incidents continuing. Flooding and mudslides are not new to Sierra Leone’s capital city. Its coastal position, surrounded by hills, and the highest annual rainfall in Africa, ensure that there is always a risk of incidents, especially during rainy season. There is also the realization that, as witnessed from the U.S., to Bangladesh, to Nigeria, climate change is also exacerbating the risks to communities already exposed to flooding and rising water levels.

As a country, we must act to address these issues now. We need to develop better rules around urban planning and development and, crucially, ensure they are enforced.

And we need to do more to protect some of the poorest communities in our country. As with other examples of flooding disasters seen this year, it is often the poorest, most marginalized communities who are most affected by floods. We must improve the resilience of these communities and ensure processes are in place to help people immediately after they happen.

Read the source article at Devex International Development