By Sallieu S. Kanu
On Friday, February 7, 2025, the leadership of the National Protected Area Authority, Guma Valley Water Company, Conservation Society of Sierra Leone, and the Sussex community visited the Western Area Peninsula National Park to inspect the aftermath of recent bushfires.
The inspection team discovered the devastating impact of fires allegedly set by local communities but orchestrated by high-ranking government officials. Construction site caretakers revealed that key figures, including military officers and a senior parliamentary official, were reportedly the owners of unfinished buildings in protected areas such as Bio Barray and One Ose (No. 2 River community).
The bushfires, allegedly caused by arsonists and land grabbers, test President Julius Maada Bio’s commitment to preventing housing developments and settlements in the Western Area Peninsula National Park and Green Belt zone.
In April 2022, President Bio visited the Guma Dam to assess the serious threat to the water source and emphasized the need for political leadership in prosecuting those involved in land grabbing around the water catchment areas. He stated, “The Western Area Forest Green Belt area is protected by law. This is very annoying and concerning. All those responsible should face the law. This is an existential threat that will not be tolerated. We are going to re-establish the Green Belt and protect it.”
President Bio also highlighted the importance of following legal procedures for development: “As much as we want everyone to build homes, we should do it within the confines of the law. Guma (Dam) is a major water source for Freetown, and encroachment into the land will limit water storage and access. If you undermine the environment, it will not protect you.”
In September 2023, Dr. Isata Mahoi, co-chair of a committee tasked with investigating encroachment into the Western Area Peninsula National Park, reported that despite the committee’s recommendations and the deployment of security personnel, deforestation and wildfires have continued to rise, putting both the Guma Dam and local communities at risk.
Dr. Mahoi revealed that the greenbelt, covering 18,337 hectares, has seen 24% of its area—between Mile 13 and Tokeh—encroached upon, with over 900 structures identified.
The committee recommended an immediate ban on all illegal activities within the greenbelt, including quarry mining and unauthorized structures, and proposed establishing a physical boundary around the protected area.
Following these recommendations, President Bio authorized the Minister of Climate Change and the Environment in May 2024 to lead the demolition of all illegal structures within the Western Area Peninsula National Park.
During a town hall meeting in July 2024, President Bio warned government officials and other prominent figures who believe they can acquire documents to build in the National Park and Green Belt that their houses would be demolished.
Additionally, the World Food Programme, in collaboration with its HQ Asset Impact Monitoring from Space (AIMS) team, released a forest cover report for the Western Area Peninsula National Park. The report reveals the loss of 550 hectares of forest between December 2023 and March 2024 and a total deforestation of 4,000 hectares (22%) since 2000. It calls on the government to urgently restore this vital ecosystem, which serves as the catchment for Freetown’s sole water reservoir and biodiversity.
However, land grabbers and their sponsors have continued their illegal efforts, challenging the president’s proclamations and remaining undeterred in their pursuit of more land in the Western Area Peninsula National Park and the Green Belt area.
Meanwhile, Guma Valley Water Company and other environmental stakeholders have raised significant concerns about the recent bushfires between River No. 2 and Baw Baw communities which threaten the sustainability of the Guma Dam and surrounding water catchments.
The fires have increased the risk of water shortages, harmed biodiversity, and damaged natural habitats. The destruction of vegetation also weakens the soil, raising the likelihood of erosion, landslides, and mudslides, further jeopardizing water sources.
Guma Valley Water Company and its partners are calling on all stakeholders to join in protecting the environment, upholding the law, and ensuring a sustainable water supply.