It was December 2015,

2015 年 12 月，

a month since the end of the Ebola outbreak in Sierra Leone,

獅子山伊波拉疫情結束後的一個月，

and I was driving along the Grafton Road

我開車沿著首都自由城郊區的 格拉夫頓路行駛。

on the outskirts of our capital city, Freetown.

在過去的 18 個月裡， 我沿著那條路開過很多次，

I'd driven along that road so many times over the past 18 months,

但老實說，我都在想事情， 沒有注意到周圍的環境。

but honestly, I'd been so preoccupied, I didn't notice my surroundings.

但那天下午，

But that afternoon,

我沒有分心，四周景象全收在我眼底。

I wasn't distracted, and I took it all in.

我很震驚。

I was shocked.

這麼多曾經茂盛蒼翠的森林植被

So much of the once-lush green forest cover

已經消失了。

had simply disappeared.

我把車停好，看著周圍這片禿禿的山，

I felt physically sick as I parked my car and looked at the barren hills around me.

這景象讓我身體感覺到一陣不適。

I wasn't just witnessing and mourning the loss of beauty,

我雖然心裡感到沉痛，

crushing though that was.

但不只是因為目睹和哀悼逝去的美。

I was witnessing and mourning the very real impact of climate change,

我目睹和哀悼的是 氣候變遷的真正衝擊，

which is felt in ways both large and small in my city,

這種衝擊對我的城市、 我的國家和我們非洲大陸

my country

有不同程度的影響。

and on my continent.

現在獅子山經常出現極端天氣模式，

Sierra Leone now regularly experiences extreme weather patterns,

特別是異常的暴雨或延遲的雨季，

particularly abnormally heavy rainfall or delayed rains,

兩者都可能導致作物歉收，

both of which can lead to crop failures

迫使人們從農村地區往城市遷移。

and in turn fuel the migration of people from rural areas to cities.

在擁有 120 萬人口的自由城，

In Freetown, a city of 1.2 million people,

住房壓力和缺乏適當的都市發展控制

the pressure for housing and the absence of development control

導致過去 20 年中

has led to the establishment of over 70 informal settlements

出現了 70 多個非正規的聚落。

in the past 20 years.

再加上林地出售給建商，

This, combined with the sale of forested land to house builders,

導致去森林化。

has resulted in the deforestation

此情此景在那天下午 立刻引起了我的熱切關注。

which came into such sharp focus for me that afternoon.

不到兩年後，即 2017 年 8 月，

Less than two years later, in August 2017,

該地區附近發生大規模土石流，

a massive landslide near that area led to the loss of about 1,000 lives

不到五分鐘內 就奪走了 1,000 條人命。

in less than five minutes.

這不是一個抽象的危機。

This is not an abstract crisis.

森林的喪失

The loss of our forests is not just about the loss of some shade.

不只是讓我們少了一些遮蔭，

It's about the loss of our ability to live.

這是我們生存能力的喪失。

Wanting to do something about this was one of the factors

想用行動改變這個情況

that led to my decision to run for mayor of Freetown,

是我決定競選自由城市長的原因之一。

a position I've held since 2018.

我自 2018 年以來 一直擔任這個職位。

And one of my favorite initiatives

我最喜歡一個計畫

is to make Freetown a tree town once again.

是讓自由城再次成為樹木之城。

Our goal:

我們的目標：

to increase vegetation cover by 50 percent in Freetown

在 2022 年我任期結束前，

by the end of my term in 2022.

將自由城植被率提高 50%。

That means we will plant a million trees within the next two years.

也就是說我們將在未來兩年內 種植一百萬棵樹。

And we start by planting the first 500,000 seedlings

我們先在今年雨季

this rainy season.

種下第一批的五十萬株樹苗。

For this to work, we need to involve everyone.

這個計劃要成功， 我們需要所有人來參與。

We need to make our city collectively proud of what we can do together

我們需要讓我們城市全體民眾

to protect ourselves

都能為我們眾志成城、 共同保護自己和家園

and our homes.

而感到驕傲。

For nearly a year now,

近一年來，

15 different species of trees have been nursed on 11 sites

我們在城內 11 個地點

across the city.

栽培了 15 個不同樹種。

And now each tree will be planted in a home, a school,

現在這些樹會種在家裡的庭院、學校、

an office, a public space, on a hillside or in a mangrove

辦公室、公共空間、 山坡上或紅樹林裡，

by a tree steward.

每棵樹都是由專屬的管理員種植。

Anyone in Freetown can opt to be a tree steward.

自由城的任何人都可以當樹木管理員。

And the growth of the trees

樹木的生長將由社區栽培團隊

will be tracked by our community-based growing teams

使用我們專有的樹木追蹤 APP

using our custom-made Treetracker app.

進行追蹤觀察。

This isn't just about planting trees,

我們不是把樹種下去就算了，

it's about growing trees,

也要讓樹木繼續健康成長，

and it's about ensuring that each one of us

並且確保我們每個人

is part of the process.

都是參與這個計畫的一分子。

A million trees will not fix climate change.

光靠種一百萬棵樹 不能解決氣候變遷問題。

But they will reduce the risk of landslides and flooding,

但是它們會減低土石流和洪水的風險，

and they will reintroduce biodiversity --

並會重新引入生物多樣性——

I've already seen the butterflies back in the park.

我已經看到蝴蝶重返公園了。

And they will protect our water catchments.

樹木也將保護我們的集水區。

A million trees is our city's small contribution

對於急需的全球碳匯，

to increasing the much-needed global carbon sink.

一百萬棵樹是我們城市 所做的小小貢獻。

Perhaps you should plant some trees, too.

或許你也應該種些樹。

Thank you.

謝謝。