Freetown — Before now, achieving food security has been a daunting task for many governments and people in Africa. The phenomenon is not unique to Sierra Leone. Though Sierra Leone's economy is heavily dependent on its natural resources and is therefore vulnerable to climate change, an additional impact of climate change may likely worsened the situation.

Past studies have revealed that agriculture is the dominant sector of the economy representing 40% of the GDP and sustaining two-thirds of the population. However, despite its abundant arable land, the country has yet to reach autonomy in rice which is the country's main staple food.

Recent observations in Sierra Leone have reported noticeable rainfall variability, especially in the northern regions, which adversely impacts water resources and agricultural yields. So it is pertinent to state that the risks on food security of strictly rain-fed rice cultivation cannot be overlooked.

Fish accounts for about 75% of total animal protein intake for the supply of which Sierra Leone heavily relies on its marine resources. With climate change, ocean warming will modify ocean currents with possible impacts on coastal marine fisheries. According to the published report of the Initial National Communication on climate change, Sierra Leone is vulnerable to climate change and extreme weather events.

Presently, the Vulnerability and Adaptation Assessment Report and the Climate Variability Report of the NAPA Project has clearly indicated that Sierra Leone is experiencing a variety of climatic hazards which include seasonal drought, strong winds, thunderstorms, landslides, heat waves, floods, intense seasonal rain fall, shifting rainfall patterns amongst others.

In some parts of the country, notably the north and south-eastern provinces of Gbondapi in Pujehun, as well as in the Freetown area, poor communities have suffered from floods and seasonal drought which have destroyed their crops and hampered their food production capabilities. Shifting rainfall patterns recently caused water shortage in Freetown and its environs. The changes in rainfall and temperature patterns have been causing current cropping patterns to become unsuitable to emerging climate conditions.

Livestock is already experiencing greater stress due to the above climatic variability and pest and disease outbreaks are becoming more pronounced. These changes have adversely affected the ability of the rural poor to maintain their existing livelihoods and have limited the ability of Sierra Leone to maintain export earnings and pay for the importation of food.

Inadequate staff and poor facilities for weather forecasting and related activities have undermined the ability of the meteorological department to provide adequate support information to other sectors of the economy so that they can better adapt to the impact of climate change.

In assessing the vulnerability and impact of climate change on the agriculture and food security sector in Sierra Leone, it has become clear that three key areas could be affected negatively

1. Land Management,
2. Crops and Livestock Husbandry and
3. Socio-economic Aspects of Agricultural Production.

The vulnerability of the water resources sector to climate change has been assessed in the Vulnerability and Adaptation Report contained in Sierra Leone's First National Communications on Climate Change.

An increase in rainfall could lead to an increase in surface runoff, resulting in flooding. On the other hand a decrease in the amount and intensity of rainfall may lead to drought. However, the implementation of urgent and immediate activities for the achievement of set out targets is paramount to the reduction of deforestation, erosion and soil infertility that affects food production.

Shifting rainfall patterns have also been observed to have caused disruptions of planting seasons resulting in diminished agricultural production and poverty amongst farmers in particular.

However, as plans are in place to improve on the quality of fisheries-related data and research for better understanding of the different types of ecosystems and to develop irrigation and drainage systems for agricultural production in the Bombali District of Sierra Leone, for example, where frequent dry spells are experienced, we anticipate that these measures will have a cushioning effect on the worsening food production process in the country.

As the UN holds the summit on climate change in November, it is expedient to focus attention on those significant trifles on how the likely effect of climate change on food security would be reduced drastically for common people not to feel the brunt.

The focus should extend to various clues - no matter how minute they might seem - that poor governments in under-developed countries could adopt to tackle the menace of the change in climatic condition.