By Sallieu S. Kanu
Freetown — Sierra Leone’s Chief Minister, Dr. David Moinina Sengeh, on Tuesday led a high-level government delegation to multiple locations within the Western Area National Park, signaling a renewed commitment to redemarcation and environmental protection amid growing concerns over deforestation and illegal encroachment.
The delegation included senior representatives from the Ministries of Lands, Local Government, Environment, Tourism, Internal Affairs, Finance, and Guma Valley Water Company, alongside military and security officials. Their mission: to make firm decisions on boundary protection, reforestation, and enforcement of penalties for encroachment.
“We are solving for the protection of our natural water sources, our water reserve, and the safety of our citizens,” Dr. Sengeh stated. “Together, #WeWillDeliver for H.E. Bio and Sierra Leone a new green belt, reforest the park, and impose new penalties and fees for those who encroach.”
A Park Under Siege
The Western Area Peninsula National Park (WAPNP), declared a national park in 2012 and proposed for UNESCO World Heritage status, has suffered alarming deforestation in recent years. A 2025 report by the World Food Programme (WFP) revealed that 715 hectares of forest were lost in 2024 alone—equivalent to over 1,300 football fields. Cumulatively, the park has lost one-third of its forest cover.
The deforestation is driven by illegal land grabbing, housing construction, quarrying, and charcoal production. Satellite imagery and field inspections have uncovered unauthorized granite quarries, marijuana farms, and thousands of structures built within the park’s protected boundaries. Fires—often set to clear land—have further degraded the ecosystem, with 220 hotspots identified in 2024 alone.
This environmental degradation threatens Freetown’s primary water source, the Guma Valley Dam. As forest cover disappears, sedimentation increases, raising water treatment costs and disaster risks such as mudslides and flooding.
Civil Society Pushback
Civil society organizations have fiercely opposed any government proposal to reduce the park’s size. A coalition including Resolve, Namati, Green Scenery, and the National Coalition for Community Legal Empowerment condemned a recent plan to cut nearly 5,000 hectares—28.9% of the park’s protected area.
“The Western Area Peninsula National Park is not just a forest—it’s a lifeline for Freetown,” said a Namati spokesperson. The groups warned that shrinking the park would accelerate biodiversity loss, endanger water security, and undermine climate resilience.
In a rare move, the Ministry of Water Resources and the Guma Valley Water Company publicly opposed the re-demarcation, citing catastrophic risks to water availability and quality. Human rights lawyer Yasmin Jusu-Sheriff called the dissent “a break from the usual conspiracy of silence,” urging greater transparency and accountability.
The coalition demanded the resignation of the National Protected Area Authority’s Executive Director and called for reforms aligned with Sierra Leone’s National Land Policy of 2015.
As the government moves to reassert control over the park, the Chief Minister’s visit marks a critical turning point. With civil society, international partners, and internal ministries voicing concern, the future of WAPNP could become a defining test of Sierra Leone’s environmental governance.
Dr. Sengeh emphasized the importance of science, human settlement patterns, and prior government decisions in guiding the redemarcation process. “We must protect our society, take care of our communities, and ensure our nation is handed over to our children in a healthier and better state,” he said.