An initiative led by FAO and Njala University brings together academic expertise and community leadership to restore and protect Sierra Leone's forests.
Southern Sierra Leone is home to tropical forests that support wildlife, farming, water, and everyday life for thousands of people. About 38 per cent of Sierra Leone’s land area is still covered by forests, according to Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) data, but that number is under a growing threat from logging, farming, and charcoal production. But forests here are not just ecosystems here — they are lifelines. They provide food, fuel, medicine, and income for rural families. They also regulate water supplies, protect soil, and keep the air breathable.
Yet climate change and economic pressures are taking a toll. Communities have to contend with unpredictable rains, longer dry seasons, shrinking harvests, and uncontrolled wildfires. Farming has become more precarious, and as incomes fall, the pressure to clear more forest for survival grows. Deforestation and degradation have spread, further eroding local livelihoods.
"The rains are not coming like they used to," said Mohammed Kamara, a local farmer and forest committee leader. "We planted groundnuts and cassava, but many of them died before we could harvest."
John Felix, a community chief, echoed the concerns. "The rivers dry up faster now. Wells go dry. It’s much harder to find water, and the heat is worse every year."
Despite these challenges, many communities are fighting back — not by cutting down more trees, but by protecting what’s left. Across Sierra Leone, the idea of community-based forestry management has been gaining ground since 2017, strongly backed by the government. This approach gives communities formal responsibility for protecting and managing their forests, backed by training, legal rights, and technical support.
To strengthen these efforts, FAO has been working closely with the government and local actors, including an important partner: Njala University.
Under the "Global Transformation of Forests for People and Climate: A focus on West Africa" project, which supports one initiative in each of 15 West African countries, FAO is helping to boost community-based forestry in Sierra Leone. What makes the work stand out is the deep involvement of Njala University — one of the country’s leading academic institutions.
A new model: Academia in the field
This initiative takes a different approach by placing a university at the center of field activities. A team of Sierra Leonean academics drive the project forwards. Faculty members from Njala’s Department of Forestry and Wood Science work directly with six communities in Bo and Moyamba Districts, bringing scientific expertise, legal training, and practical support.
This local connection is key. Many Njala staff come from the same regions where they now work. They understand the daily challenges villagers face — from droughts destroying crops to the complex traditional land rights systems. Because the academics have roots in the areas they work, they are seen as familiar faces, making it easier to work together and introduce new ideas that respect community traditions.
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"We don't just teach theory," said Dr. Steve Ibrahima-Mattia, who coordinates the initiative. "We work with communities, side by side. We're showing that universities can help people turn research into real change."
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The collaboration benefits both sides. Communities gain access to technical support — from forest mapping to nursery establishment — while Njala students and researchers gain a living, open-air laboratory to test ideas, build data, and improve forestry knowledge in real time.
Protecting forests, growing livelihoods
The activities under the project are varied but connected by a common goal: to make forests valuable to communities without destroying them.
- Beekeeping: Villages received Kenyan top-bar hives and training in sustainable honey production. Previously, honey was harvested by burning wild hives, damaging trees and killing bee colonies. Now, with new techniques, communities protect bees while opening a new source of income.
- Tree planting and nurseries: Central nurseries were established, producing cashew seedlings planted across 15 hectares. Though early droughts caused some losses, communities are committed to replanting and expanding.
- Forest management committees: Each village established a committee with gender-balanced membership. Subcommittees focus on tasks like nursery work, fire control, and forest patrols.
- Legal empowerment: Njala University arranged for legal experts to work with communities to draft by-laws, setting clear rules for forest use, penalties for illegal activities, and governance structures to ensure local control.
- Crop diversification: Beyond cashew, villagers are exploring pineapples, groundnuts, and mangoes, building resilience against climate risks.
A visible change on the ground
The six project villages — Baoma, Domboma, Konovulahun, Pambella, Gbojeima, and Gbaima Songa — are starting to see signs of recovery. Forests that were once open to unrestricted cutting are now watched and cared for. Wildlife sightings are up. Rivers run longer into the dry season. Locally extinct species like Milicia arborea are reappearing.
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"Our forest is thicker, greener," said Aminata Nalo, a women’s leader from Domboma. "We even see the Yemeni tree growing again. And now, we also see more wildlife coming back, like the duikers and monkeys."
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The social fabric of these communities is changing too. Women like Margaret Blanco now lead planting activities and help shape decisions that affect their forests. Young people, once disconnected from traditional forest knowledge, are learning modern conservation techniques alongside local customs.
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"Decisions are made together now. Men and women," Margaret said. "We all agree on what needs to be done and how to do it."
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Challenges still exist
The work is not without its challenges. Early droughts last year hit new plantations hard. Beekeeping operations are still small and need better equipment for safe harvesting. Enforcing by-laws remains difficult, especially when neighboring communities without similar rules put pressure on protected areas.
But communities are staying motivated. Forest patrols are now routine. Infractions are reported. Fines are levied according to community by-laws. And crucially, the model is gaining attention from neighboring villages.
The road ahead
The sustainability of the initiative rests on its local roots. Across the six villages, 1,500 people — including 465 women and 1,035 men — are directly involved or benefiting from these efforts. Community members, university staff, district forestry officers — are all committed to seeing it succeed. The government, through the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change, continues to back community-based forestry as a national priority, hoping to replicate this model elsewhere.
Future steps include improving the enforcement of by-laws, strengthening nurseries to reduce seedling mortality, expanding livelihood options to reduce pressure on forests, and building better links to markets for honey and cashew products.
For Njala University, the experience reinforces a simple truth: education doesn’t stop at the classroom door. By working hand-in-hand with local communities, the university is helping shape a new generation of forestry leaders — and a new future for Sierra Leone’s forests.
As Dr. Ibrahima-Mattia put it, "When people see the forest as their own, everything changes. They don’t just conserve — they lead."
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This initiative is part of the five-year project “Global Transformation of Forests for People and Climate: A Focus on West Africa”, jointly implemented by the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida), the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), and the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).
The results and lessons learned from this initiative will be presented at the global South–South knowledge exchange, “South–South Knowledge Exchange on Community-Based Forestry: From West Africa to the World,” taking place in Cabo Verde from 26 to 29 May and co-funded by Sida and the UN-REDD Programme.
