

Can technology and urban greening cool Sierra Leone’s scorching heat?
11 snips Feb 14, 2025
Tommy Charles, the team lead of the Sierra Leone Open Mapping Initiative, discusses the rising temperatures in Freetown and its harsh impacts on daily life. He shares insights from a recent Urban Heat Hackathon, where technology and urban greening emerged as key solutions. With the help of mapping technology, they are identifying hot spots and advocating for community engagement. The conversation highlights innovative strategies like tree planting and the use of satellite imagery to combat extreme heat in crowded areas.
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Heat's Impact on Freetown
- In Freetown, Sierra Leone, temperatures reach 33°C, impacting livelihoods.
- People leave homes seeking coolness, but face dehydration, affecting work efficiency and food sales in markets.
Personal Heat Experience
- Glory Aminata-Ture shared her personal experience with heat in informal settlements.
- She highlighted the difficulty of asthmatics in getting fresh air and the reliance on artificial cooling.
Mapping Heat for Solutions
- Tommy Charles's team uses mapping technology to track Freetown's heat patterns for tailored solutions.
- They use satellite images and remote sensing to understand varying heat degrees in different locations.