Sierra Leone Deepens Climate Cooperation with WFP

In a bold step toward advancing environmental sustainability and resilience, the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change has signed a landmark cooperation agreement with the World Food Programme Sierra Leone (WFPSL). The agreement, signed today in Freetown, will enhance joint efforts in forest monitoring, environmental protection, anticipatory action, and climate-smart programming.

The partnership will prioritize work in national parks, forest reserves, and key conservation landscapes, areas deemed vital for biodiversity, carbon sequestration, and ecosystem services.

“This agreement is a testament to our shared commitment to protect Sierra Leone’s forests and natural heritage, while also strengthening climate resilience,” said a senior official from the Ministry of Environment

A Strategic Alliance for Nature and People

The cooperation framework outlines several core objectives, including:

• Deployment of real-time forest monitoring tools

• Implementation of community-driven environmental protection projects

• Roll-out of climate-smart agriculture and land-use practices

• Strengthening of early warning systems and anticipatory action plans

Officials emphasized that the agreement supports the country’s broader ambition to fulfill its

Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) 

under the Paris Climate Accord, while empowering local communities to adapt to climate shocks.

A WFPSL spokesperson noted: “Environmental protection is inseparable from food security. Forests are lifelines, and this collaboration is about preserving them while building sustainable livelihoods.”

Supporting Conservation and Resilience

With climate change intensifying across the West African sub-region, Sierra Leone’s forests, many of which are under pressure from logging, mining, and shifting agriculture, have become a national priority for conservation.

The agreement is expected to open new avenues for technical collaboration, capacity building, and resource mobilization to drive long-term solutions for people and planet.

Environmental stakeholders welcomed the partnership as a practical model for multi-agency climate action, bringing together science, policy, and community engagement to confront one of the country’s most pressing challenges.