Climate Change No Longer Solely an Issue for Scientists and Experts: West African Priests’ President

He also expressed concern that poor and vulnerable communities, which contribute the least to climate change, often bear its most severe consequences.

The member of Clergy of Sierra Leone’s Catholic Archdiocese of Freetown said the effects are becoming increasingly visible, particularly through unpredictable rainfall that threatens agriculture and food security.

He added that flooding is destroying homes, schools, roads and health facilities, while drought is forcing families to travel long distances in search of water.

Fr. Konteh also pointed to environmental practices that he said are worsening the continent’s vulnerability to disasters, including deforestation, uncontrolled mining, poor waste disposal and the destruction of wetlands.

He said Sierra Leone has experienced the consequences of heavy rainfall, fragile settlements, deforestation and inadequate drainage systems.

 “Every flood should remind us that protecting the environment is not separate from protecting human life,” he said.

The Priest argued that climate change should not be understood simply as nature “taking revenge on humanity,” but as being largely linked to human choices, including how people produce and consume goods, treat forests and rivers, manage waste and prioritize short-term profits over the wellbeing of future generations.

For Fr. Konteh, environmental protection is also a matter of faith. He said God entrusted creation to humanity not for exploitation and destruction but to be “cultivated, protected and passed on responsibly,” making care for the environment a “moral and spiritual duty” alongside being a political and scientific responsibility.

Citing Pope Francis’ Encyclical Letter on care for our common home, Laudato Si’, the President of Priests in West Africa recalled that “the cry of the earth cannot be separated from the cry of the poor,” linking environmental degradation to the suffering of vulnerable populations.

Fr. Konteh called for governments to move beyond environmental speeches and promises and take practical measures, including enforcing environmental laws, investing in renewable energy, improving drainage systems, protecting forests and coastal areas and strengthening disaster preparedness.