Deforestation reaches crisis levels as government and partners pledge Le250M to save ecosystems and livelihoods
With over 5,800 hectares of forest lost in a single year, Sierra Leone’s environmental emergency is deepening—and the government says it is finally moving from talk to action.
In a high-profile announcement on August 12, the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change launched the EU-funded Nature Nourishes Project, targeting communities surrounding the nation’s most endangered protected areas.
“This is not just about trees—it’s about water, food, jobs, and survival,” said Minister Jiwoh Abdulai, warning that unchecked logging, mining, and land encroachment are pushing ecosystems to the brink.
Backed by Le250 million in EU funding, the program will restore forests and water catchment areas, create alternative livelihoods, train forest guards, and promote eco-tourism and climate-smart farming in 90 chiefdoms.
The project follows alarming figures showing massive forest losses between May 2024 and April 2025, with the Gola Rainforest and Outamba Kilimi each losing over 2,100 hectares.
WFP Country Director Yvonne Forsen, marking the 10th anniversary of the deadly Freetown landslide, warned that without urgent intervention, Sierra Leone faces “deadlier disasters, water shortages, and rising temperatures.”
From Moyamba, Paramount Chief Mima Kajue offered hope—her chiefdom banned charcoal burning, embraced swamp rice farming, and planted 100 hectares of cashews, proving environmental protection can create jobs.
By Joseph Turay
