The Chinese apparently, according to locals. Apparently the Chinese are going to construct a dam up there somewhere.
According to a recent correspondence I received… “the Chinese government assists the Government of Sierra Leone (GoSL) in building a hydro-dam directly above the falls, which is supposed to produce electricity for Charlotte Village. However, the villagers also confirmed that they have been neither involved in the decision making nor in the planning process.
Ironically to say that the deforestation took place directly below the large sign board of the UNDP funded "Fuel wood project for youth empowerment, job creation and sustainable development of the Western Area Peninsula Forest", being implemented by CSSL, in collaboration with the Ministry of Youth & Sports. Even though this project deals with forestry related matters, there is no mentioning of the Forestry Department under the Ministry of Agriculture, Foresty & Food Security (MAFFS).”
It is doubtful whether an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) has been conducted, as stipulated for such type of project in the SLEPA Act 2008.
I’m no environmental expert but I don’t think this bodes well for the enormous potential for tourism development around the falls. I’ll let you judge for yourself with some before and after shots…
BEFORE
AFTER
HELP SAVE THE PENINSULA AREA FOREST.
8 comments:
thanks for the photos, this is the first time i have made any contribution to any article and i am doing it now as this rampant and unabated "deforestation" has been a matter of pain for me, honestly i felt quite sick after looking at the "before" and "after" photos. who is listening to our cries of STOP ? cant we i wonder have " protected " areas ? going up the provinces also is an eyesore,i wonder haw we expect investors to be interested when we are responsible for destroying our own heritage. enough said,i can go on for ever on this matter,to the powers that be, it`s not just about diamonds,investors, fishing etc, it`s also about loving our country and preserving it`s natural beauty.
That is disgaceful... Those falls are a potential 'sustainable bread-winner' for local communities through sustainable tourism projects. I am sure that a wealth of precious wildlife and plants has been lost through this act too.
We visited Charlotte falls over Christmas and it is absolutely breath taking. We spoke to the residents about the dam and they are actually in favour of it. This is simply because they do not have electricity and would rather have electricity than the falls. What is a real shame though is that the electricity cable that serve Freetown run right through charlotte village and I failed to comprehend why that cable could not serve as a source for electricity for charlotte.
The whole situation is a real shame, because more areas like charlotte will be destroyed in the future for as long as local people do not have the basic necessities of life.
Each time i read things like this about Sierra Leone,keep wundering if there is any Governing body at all that knows what it is all about to be a nation or a country. This country has so much that,all Sierra Leoneans surpose to be living a better life but rather those in charge will be selling out the nations pride just for their greedy needs. It's a pitty though.Once again thanks for the photos.
I keep saying this: We need to watch the Chinese! No one, not even our government, is putting them in check. They work in Sierra Leone to the benefit of their own. Cutting down trees has a devastating effect on the environment. Haiti's past experiences with natural disasters is proof of that. The Chinese are not our friends. We should remember that. I'm not saying they shouldn't be in Sierra Leone, but we need to remember that the Chinese have their own agenda.
sincerely speaking, if it is a tourist visiting area, then it needs to be developed. Only that, we should be cautious of the effects of deforestation.
I've just visited the breathtaking Niagara falls in Canada and all the benefits from tourism.
My first question was what are we doing about the falls in our beloved Sierra Leone.
Thanks for these photos - This is appalling!!!
I hope we as a nation can show our love for our beloved country by not allowing outsiders who have other interests to destroy our heritage.
Born and bred in mountain rural area, such articles bring tears to my eyes. It is sickening that most Sierra Leoneans especially those in authority care very little for the nation and its environment. No doubt we need leaders whose quest is not just for power and money but for the development of the nation and its people. Leaders who can create the atmosphere that will draw others to our country. Please let's preserve some areas, as if destroying Hill Station is not enough.
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