By Sallieu S. Kanu
Kenema, – November 25, 2025: The Human Rights Commission of Sierra Leone (HRCSL), with support from the Danish Institute for Human Rights, has concluded a community engagement and awareness-raising campaign on its climate change assessment report and its human rights implications in Kenema, eastern Sierra Leone.
The day-long event, held at the Sierra Leone Association of Journalists (SLAJ) Hall, brought together representatives from the Sierra Leone Police, Republic of Sierra Leone Armed Forces, traditional leaders, civil society organizations, ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs), persons with disabilities, youth groups, and the media. The engagement focused on protecting people, preserving the environment, empowering communities, and strengthening resilience against climate-induced disasters.
Recognizing the growing threat climate change poses to human rights, the HRCSL has established a Directorate of Climate Change and Information Services to monitor environmental impacts and raise public awareness.
Speaking at the event, Director Abu Bakarr Kamara explained that the engagement aimed to popularize the findings of the Commission’s climate change and human rights impact assessment, while fostering collaboration among diverse stakeholders. He highlighted charcoal burning and widespread deforestation as major drivers of environmental degradation in Sierra Leone.
“We want to ensure that findings from our climate change assessment across the country reach the public,” Kamara said, noting that the Commission is undertaking nationwide sensitization to explain how climate threats intersect with daily life.
He emphasized the urgent need for alternative livelihoods to reduce reliance on environmentally harmful practices such as unchecked charcoal burning and deforestation.
Participants welcomed the initiative, pledging to take an active role in sensitizing their communities about the dangers of climate change. Senior Section Chief of Nongowa Chiefdom, Chief Amara Soko Musa, committed to sharing the knowledge gained and encouraging community members to avoid destructive practices that worsen environmental challenges.
The Kenema engagement follows a similar session held in Makeni on November 20, 2025, with another scheduled for Waterloo, Western Rural District, next week.