No Action: Sierra Leone’s Environmental Wake-Up Call

By Mohamed Ismail Kamara

Executive Director

Stichting EcoProbe Africa

The Netherlands

September 2025

Every rainy season in Sierra Leone tells the same tragic story. Homes are washed away, families are displaced, and lives are lost. The 2017 Freetown mudslide, which buried entire communities and claimed more than a thousand lives, was one of the deadliest reminders of our vulnerability. Nearly a decade later, little has changed. Floods still devastate neighborhoods, deforestation continues unchecked, and the climate crisis tightens its grip on our nation.

The painful truth is that environmental protection has never been treated as a national priority. Government leaders typically wait until disaster strikes before taking action; visiting affected areas with cameras flashing, making promises of “never again,” and then returning to business as usual. This cycle of lip service has become all too familiar, and it must end.

Politics is partly to blame. Election cycles reward short-term projects that bring immediate recognition roads, handouts, ribbon-cuttings. Environmental protection, on the other hand, demands long-term vision. A tree planted today may not show results for years, and such efforts rarely win votes. As a result, they are pushed aside in favor of projects that deliver quick applause.

At the same time, Sierra Leone’s economy remains heavily dependent on industries like mining and logging. These sectors generate short-term revenue, but leave behind poisoned rivers, stripped hillsides, and fragile communities. Successive governments have hesitated to confront these industries because of their political and financial weight, even as their activities undermine national resilience.

Even where environmental regulations exist, they are poorly enforced. Agencies like the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the National Disaster Management Agency (NDMA) are expected to safeguard the country’s forests, rivers, and communities, yet they remain underfunded, underpowered, and often reactive rather than proactive. Instead of leading long-term climate resilience planning, they are seen mostly in the aftermath of disasters distributing aid, issuing statements, and then fading from the spotlight. Corruption and political interference make it easy for companies to bypass accountability, leaving ordinary citizens to suffer the consequences: unsafe drinking water, destroyed farmland, and recurring floods that wash away lives and livelihoods.

The public’s silence compounds the problem. Too many Sierra Leoneans only pay attention to the environment when disaster strikes. Yet environmental neglect is directly linked to daily struggles, rising food prices, health problems, and the destruction of homes and businesses. Until citizens demand accountability, leaders will continue to treat the environment as a side issue rather than a matter of survival.

On the international stage, Sierra Leone’s leaders regularly attend climate summits, sign agreements, and pledge ambitious targets. Yet at home, implementation is minimal. These commitments often serve global appearances more than local needs, leaving the country stuck in a cycle of promises without progress.

Breaking this cycle requires urgent change. Sierra Leone must place environmental protection at the center of development. No project, whether a mine, road, or housing scheme should move forward without serious environmental consideration. Regulatory agencies like the EPA and NDMA must be empowered with resources and independence to enforce the law, not just respond after tragedy. Citizens must recognize that protecting the environment is not separate from their livelihoods, but central to them. Renewable energy, climate-smart agriculture, and eco-tourism should be seen as opportunities for sustainable growth, not optional extras. Most importantly, leaders must commit to policies that outlast their time in office. True leadership is not about securing the next vote; it is about leaving behind a legacy of survival.

Sierra Leone is blessed with fertile soil, rich forests, and abundant rivers. Yet we are treating these blessings as disposable. Every tree cut down without replacement weakens our defenses against floods. Every mining concession granted without oversight, poisons land and water that future generations will depend on. This is no longer about politics, it is about survival. Climate change does not care about party colors. Floods do not ask who you voted for. Deforestation does not discriminate between rich and poor.

The time has come for Sierra Leone to move from “blah, blah” speeches to concrete action. The choice before us is simple: act now, or wait for the next disaster to remind us of the cost of neglect. By then, for many families, it will already be too late.

About the Author
Mohamed Ismail Kamara is the Executive Director of Stichting EcoProbe Africa, a Netherlands-based organization raising awareness about environmental degradation, climate change, health, artificial intelligence, and sustainable development in Sub-Saharan Africa. Contact: ecoprobeafrica@gmail.com.