Conservation and Peacebuilding in Sierra Leone

This 2012 report examines the state of conservation in Sierra Leone, highlighting that only 4% of its land is protected. It details how the 1991–2002 civil war devastated environmental management and how current pressures from mining, industrial agriculture, and population growth continue to threaten biodiversity. The authors argue that while conservation can support peacebuilding through job creation and benefit-sharing (e.g., the Gola Forest Programme), it can also trigger conflict if it limits resource access or fails to compensate communities for wildlife damage. The report recommends strengthening legislative frameworks, improving stakeholder coordination, and implementing conflict-sensitive management strategies.

• Sierra Leone has a low level of conservation protection, with only 4 per cent of its land territory and none of its marine territory under protection as of 2010. This is below the global average of 6.2 per cent and the sub-Saharan African average of 5.9 per cent.
• The civil war (1991–2002) severely damaged conservation efforts through direct attacks on park facilities, the establishment of rebel camps in protected forests, and the collapse of environmental management institutions. Legacies of the conflict persist, including land grabbing due to destroyed records and the use of protected areas for artisanal mining by demobilized rebels.
• Mining presents a significant threat to protected areas, with mineral concessions covering 82 per cent of the country. There have been attempts to de-gazette parks for mining, and industrial operations often attract artisanal miners, leading to land degradation. A specific boundary dispute exists between the government and Cluff Gold regarding the Kangari Hills Forest Reserve.
• Demographic and agricultural pressures are driving deforestation and encroachment. Freetown's expansion has affected approximately 20 per cent of the Western Area Peninsula Forest Reserve. Additionally, an estimated 10 per cent of available arable land is under negotiation or contract for industrial agriculture.
• Sierra Leone's fisheries face severe pressure from overfishing and illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing, which results in estimated annual losses of US$29 million. The country currently lacks any marine protected areas, though four are proposed: Yawri Bay, the Sherbro River Estuary, the Sierra Leone River Estuary, and the Scarcies River Estuary.
• Conservation can support peacebuilding by creating jobs, reducing corruption through transparency, and promoting international cooperation. For example, the Gola Forest Programme's Community Benefit Sharing Agreement has disbursed over US$500,000 in development benefits to surrounding communities since 2005.
• Poorly managed conservation can exacerbate conflict by limiting local access to resources, introducing economic burdens (such as crop destruction by wildlife without compensation), and creating unequal benefit-sharing. Boundary disputes are a common source of tension, as seen in the Gola Rainforest National Park where farmers face resettlement due to GPS re-demarcation.

APA

Brown, O., & Crawford, A. (2012). Conservation and Peacebuilding in Sierra Leone. International Institute for Sustainable Development. https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/iisd_conservation_in_Sierra_Leone.pdf

Chicago

Brown, Oli, and Alec Crawford. Conservation and Peacebuilding in Sierra Leone. International Institute for Sustainable Development, 2012. https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/iisd_conservation_in_Sierra_Leone.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Brown |first1=Oli |last2=Crawford |first2=Alec |title=Conservation and Peacebuilding in Sierra Leone |publisher=International Institute for Sustainable Development |date=January 2012 |url=https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/iisd_conservation_in_Sierra_Leone.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{brown2012conservation, author = {Brown, Oli and Crawford, Alec}, title = {{Conservation and Peacebuilding in Sierra Leone}}, institution = {International Institute for Sustainable Development}, year = {2012}, month = jan, url = {https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/iisd_conservation_in_Sierra_Leone.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }