Freetown, Sierra Leone – June 27, 2025 — A broad coalition of civil society organizations in Sierra Leone has strongly condemned a controversial government plan to reduce the size of the Western Area Peninsula National Park (WAPNP) by nearly 5,000 hectares—representing a 28.9% cut to the protected area.
The proposal, jointly advanced by the National Protected Area Authority (NPAA) and the Ministry of Lands, Housing and Country Planning, has ignited fierce opposition from environmental, legal, and community advocacy groups. Critics say the move poses serious threats to the country’s biodiversity, climate resilience, and Freetown’s already fragile water security.
In a joint statement released this week, organizations including Resolve, Namati, Green Scenery, the National Coalition for Community Legal Empowerment, and several others described the plan as a “direct assault on one of Sierra Leone’s most vital ecological assets.”
“The Western Area Peninsula National Park is not just a forest—it’s a lifeline for Freetown,” said a representative from Namati. “This proposal threatens the water we drink, the species we protect, and the safety of our communities.”
The WAPNP serves as the key watershed area for the Guma Valley Dam, the main source of water for the capital.
Environmental groups warn that shrinking the park would accelerate deforestation, increase the risk of landslides and flooding, and endanger unique plant and animal species, some of which are already at risk of extinction.
In a rare show of internal government dissent, the Ministry of Water Resources and Sanitation and the Guma Valley Water Company (GVWC) issued a joint statement on June 16 opposing the re-demarcation. They warned that any reduction in the park’s size could have devastating consequences for water availability and quality in Freetown.
Human rights lawyer Yasmin Jusu-Sheriff described the public stance by the water ministry as a “break from the usual conspiracy of silence” within government circles, calling it a significant shift in how natural resource decisions are challenged.
The civil society coalition also criticized the NPAA and Ministry of Lands for what they called a lack of transparency and public consultation, urging the resignation of the NPAA’s Executive Director.
They demanded the immediate withdrawal of the proposal and called for reforms aligned with Sierra Leone’s National Land Policy of 2015.
The statement, signed by more than a dozen groups including Land for Life, the Conservation Society of Sierra Leone, and the Lady Ellen Women’s Aid Foundation, appealed to the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change to lead a transparent and expert-led review of forest protection laws.
“The protection of the Western Area Peninsula National Park is non-negotiable,” the joint statement declared. “The future of our environment, water security, and public safety depends on it.”
With pressure mounting both at home and abroad, civil society leaders are now calling on international development partners to urge the government to abandon the proposal and prioritize long-term environmental sustainability.
As opposition grows and institutional cracks emerge within government ranks, the fate of the Western Area Peninsula National Park could become a defining test of Sierra Leone’s environmental governance.
