Flying over Freetown
Take a 2 minute tour of the Freetown Peninsula
Destruction of The Western Area Forest Reserve
Satellite images from Google Earth show the rapid erosion of the Western Area Forest Reserve. This is alarming for a host of reasons including habitat destruction and loss of biodiversity, increased risk of flooding and landslides, and critically the destruction of water catchment areas which are the main sources of fresh water in Freetown.
Coastal Land Reclamation
Satellite images from Google Earth show extensive land reclamation in the Kroo Bay settlement in Central Freetown. Kroo Bay is not unique in this regard, with large swathes of coastal areas in and around Freetown being reclaimed. These areas are increasingly at risk from environmental hazards and climate change.
Disappearing Mangroves
Satellite images from Google Earth showing the destruction of the mangroves at Aberdeen Creek in just five years. The images also show extensive land reclamation along the edges of the Creek including adjacent to Lumley Beach.
Audiograms: experiments in sharing audio content
We’re experimenting with new ways of generating and sharing audio content through social media. Please listen and share these two ‘Audiograms’ that were created from work produced during our recent Environmental Reporting Workshops in Freetown.
Environmental Reporting Workshops, Freetown
I’m pleased to have been part of the recent environmental reporting workshops organised by the Lost Freetown Collective (LFC) and Hirondelle USA, and hosted by Concept Multimedia. Led by co-director of LFC, Nazia Parvez, the workshops brought together Freetown-based journalists and media professionals to explore the theme: ‘coastal zone management and climate change.’
Mangrove Restoration: Case Studies from Thailand, Vietnam, and India
Mangrove forests form an integral part of coastal ecosystems and play a key role in climate change mitigation. Growing in tropical and sub-tropical tidal areas, such as estuaries and marine shorelines, their roots extend deep into the coastal sediment. They serve as effective natural barriers to rising sea levels and flooding, bearing the brunt of storm surges and preventing excessive sedimentation. According to Corcoran, Ravilious and Skuja (2007), mangroves also serve as major carbon sinks, reducing the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere together with other greenhouse gases.
Sierra Leone’s Coastal Wetlands: A Need for Urgent Action
Recent incidences of flooding and localised landslides in Freetown have clearly indicated that Sierra Leone lacks the capacity to absorb the effects of such disasters. There is weak resilience, a low level of preparedness and inadequate adaptive capacity in the country to resist climate-induced natural disasters. Communities that are directly affected, including Susan’s Bay in Central Freetown, are increasingly experiencing adverse environmental conditions, especially flooding during the rains, and dwindling water supplies.