By NAMATI Sierra Leone
The motor on the speedboat is out and the life jackets have mysteriously disappeared. Two brothers, Alusine and Borbor Koroma offer to ferry us across the Moa River to our destination. We board the vessel and they begin to row using long bamboo canes. Tiwai Island looms ahead. Twenty minutes later we pull up at the island’s riverbank and are instantly surrounded by a chorus of bird and animal calls. We begin trekking through a dense forest towards the heart of one of Sierra Leone’s most important ecosystems and tourist attractions. As we trudge through the undergrowth, sunlight filters through the lush canopy provided by giant trees overhead.
Tiwai, which is Mende for “Big Island” is home to the pygmy hippo, various species of primates and over 135 different species of birds, some of which can only be found here. Tiwai is also one of four protected areas that Namati Sierra Leone is helping to safeguard from destructive human activity in partnership with the World Food Programme (WFP) and the National Protected Area Authority (NPAA) through an EU-funded project titled Nature Nourishes – A Territorial Approach to Local Development (NN-TALD).
As we approach the island’s Research Center, our guides tell us about a family of pygmy hippos that wandered into a farmer’s pumpkin field and devoured a significant portion of it. In response, the farmer laid out poison traps that were devastatingly effective. The killing of the endangered animals underscores the challenges of protecting wildlife whose habitats overlap with communities. The need to reduce destructive activities in and around protected areas has prompted the establishment of buffer zones around not just Tiwai but also Outamba Kilimi National Park in the North-West, and Kambui South Conservation Area in the Eastern Region. Critical ecosystems around Lake Mape and Lake Mabesi in the south will also be protected.
A buffer zone is a one-mile stretch of land surrounding a protected area. Within this zone, activities that could damage the environment are restricted or prohibited, creating an additional layer of protection for critical ecosystems and the wildlife they support.
“What we understand about the buffer zone is that it is an area where you cannot do mining or light fires or kill animals” explains the Kambama Town Chief Mohamed B. Koroma. Kambama community is one of several that fall within a one-mile radius of Tiwai Island, and therefore within the scope of the buffer zone. “Protecting the forest is a good idea,” he continues, “but the problem is our people depend on farming for their livelihoods and that includes slashing and burning. If we cannot continue our normal farming activities in the buffer zone, people are afraid they will lose their livelihoods.”
This sentiment was echoed by communities connected to the aforementioned protected areas during a recent scoping exercise conducted by Namati. The establishment and management of the buffer zones will be community-led, so it is critical that these communities take full ownership of the process. However, in addition to fears of relocation and complete lack of access to forest and lake resources, communities expressed concern that they benefited little or nothing from prior conservation efforts. To address concerns and misinformation about the buffer zones, Namati and representatives from WFP and NPAA conducted sensitization meetings with affected communities.
In the Kambama Court Barray, which is crowded with indignant community people, Namati Program Officer Abdulai Tommy holds up a rough sketch of an island encircled by a protective outer layer. He explains that they will not be barred from farming within that area, but that they would have to put in place governance structures – bylaws to prevent uncontrolled and destructive activities. They would also be expected to engage in eco-friendly activities, such as tree planting to enhance the effectiveness of the buffer zone.
“The project comes with a support package to assist communities in their efforts of managing the buffer zone,” explains Namati Director in Charge of Programmes Daniel Sesay. “With this sensitization of communities, I think we succeeded in addressing certain misconceptions associated with the buffer zones. Community people will be allowed to continue their farming activities, but certain activities such as hunting, burning and felling trees will be prohibited.”
The questions and concerns are not entirely settled, but an important step has been taken towards ensuring that conservation of protected areas and the livelihoods of communities can find a way to coexist. World Environment Day 2026 calls nations to be “Inspired by Nature. For Climate. For Our Future.” Protected areas such as Tiwai Island exemplify what is at stake: the conservation of ecosystems that help regulate the climate, while sustaining the communities that call them home.
