By Donald Johnson
Sierra Leone under the leadership of the Mayor of Freetown, Yvonne Aki-Sawyerr has hosted first ever African Urban Heat Summit .
The Freetown Mayor and her team alongside her have welcomed Mayors and Vice Governors from across the region.
This year, Delegates from Kanifing, Monrovia, Conakry, Accra, Ouagadougou, and Abidjan arrived in Freetown for the first ever African Urban Heat Summit.
Also in attendance were the CEO, Board Chair and Staff of Climate Resilience for All (CRA), co-hosts for the Summit, the CEO of Quadrature Foundation and a senior representative of C40 Cities.
Earlier, the official welcome began with an inspection of a guard of honor by the Freetown City Council Metropolitan Police, The Mayor, Deputy Mayor and Chief Administrator then presented the visiting Mayors with the “Key to Freetown Municipality,” symbolizing the city’s commitment to regional collaboration and partnership.
Scheduled for January 6, 2025, the summit brings together local government leaders from across Sierra Leone, development partners, multilateral organizations, and key climate stakeholders. Discussions will focus on developing urgent solutions and raising the finance required to combat the growing threat of extreme heat and its impacts on urban areas.
