By: Emmanuel Mbowa
Freetown, 13th April 2026- A high-stake joint risk assessment has uncovered “catastrophic” levels of degradation across Freetown’s critical wetlands. From Aberdeen Creek, Cassava Farm in Juba, and Mambo along the Peninsula Highway, the city’s primary defenses against the Atlantic Ocean are being systematically dismantled. The destruction is devastating marine’s life, leaving local communities dangerously exposed to rising tides.
The multi-agency assessment; comprising the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change, the National Disaster Management Agency (NDMA), the National Protected Area Authority (NPAA), and the National Tourist Board (NTB), revealed a surge in illegal encroachment, noting massive extensions and “mega-construction projects” are currently breaching protected “Core” zones beyond established cutoff points, raising urgent questions regarding the legality of these developments and who authorised them.
Legal Warnings and Mandates- The Executive Director of the NPAA, Sheikh Ahmed Tunis, has issued a stern warning, noting that existing laws strictly prohibit the exploitation of mangrove-rich wetlands for construction.
“There are rigorous legal processes that must be followed; nobody has the right to simply claim these lands,” Tunis said.
He clarified that the NPAA does not have the authority to allocate land, stating that, “Neither I nor did my predecessor have the right to allocate land; that power resides with the Ministry of Lands. We can only grant a ‘Right to Usage’ in protected areas that are already degraded and cannot be fully restored by the Agency.”
Tunis called on occupants, who claimed to have purchased these lands or received allocations, to present their legal documentation for verification, while also noting that“Not everyone who claims to have a land plan received it from the Ministry of Lands. Even if you hold a plan, once an area is classified as protected, much like the Western Area Peninsula National Park, you cannot exploit it.”
The Impending Disaster: Why Mangroves Matter- Highlighting the specific danger at Mambo, Tunis explained the mechanics of the impending environmental catastrophe, saying that“The sandbars and mangroves are the only things standing between us and the Atlantic Ocean. Mangroves act like a biological sponge, absorbing rising sea levels. When you clear them, you don’t just destroy fish breeding grounds; you strip away the city’s flood protection. We aren’t talking about ordinary puddles; we are talking about massive, destructive flooding.”
Restoration and Enforcement- The recent site visits are part of an ongoing effort to identify and reclaim risk-prone areas. The NPAA’s strategies are to identify, map, demolish, and restore protected areas.
“As enforcement officers, our role is to halt any development in these protected areas,” Tunis clarified. “Once identified and mapped, we will demolish illegal structures and work to restore the ecosystem.”
Despite the clear environmental risks, enforcement faces challenges from local residents and laborers who cite a lack of clear boundaries and economic desperation.
The Resident’s View- A resident at Aberdeen Creek claimed that the lack of official demarcation has fueled the crisis. “As the population increased, people began encroaching. If there had been clear initial boundaries, people wouldn’t have moved this far,” he argued. He further noted that land isn’t “sold” in the traditional sense, but acquired through “local authorities” who grant permission to backfill and develop specific spots.
The Laborer’s Struggle- For Murana Dumbuya, a fisherman and construction laborer, the environmental degradation has a direct impact on his plate and his pocket.
“I have no work today because the authorities have halted construction,” Dumbuya said, noting that since the mangroves were cleared, he could no longer catch sizable fish near the coastline and must travel as far as the Aberdeen Bridge for a decent haul. “Now I only catch small fish within the enclosures where backfilling is planned. I think they need to demarcate the area and allow those who have already destroyed the mangroves to finish backfilling their ‘Buffer Zones’ so we can at least work,” Dumbya said.
While the Tourist Board has denied allocating land at Aberdeen Creek, the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change, the NDMA, and the NPAA have halted all construction activities and ordered occupants to tender their legal documents or provide proof of authorization, as demolition is set to commence shortly.
