Communities in Rural Sierra Leone Grappling with Climate Change
By Mohamed Konneh
In the remote village of Faama, Nomo Chiefdom in the Kenema District, Eastern Sierra Leone gives clear evidence that climate is changing. Floods, drought, heat waves and forest fires remains frequent occurrence in that part of the country.
Climatic condition is making life hard for communities here especially for people who already struggle with flooding, access to clean water, and farming activities.
Nomo Faama village is a 33 miles from Kenema city and 26 miles toward the Liberian border. Faama is the Chiefdom headquarters of Nomo chiefdom, a remote community with very bad road network and one can only get to this village through the aid of a motor bike.
A visit to Nomo Faama gives a clear evidence of changes in climatic condition as water sources continue to dry up and primary forests vanishing.
Entering the village from Kenema city, is a small stream that usually as water source for the people but this stream is now vanishing. This stream is almost dried up as the water bed is visibly seen. This water source is used for laundering and other domestic purposes for this community. This fragile water source is at even greater risk of disappearing completely due to activities up stream. This stream provides an important water source for this community all year round but what is happening here gives a clear indication of some adverse effect of climate change.
The Nomo Faama water source is almost dried up and can and no longer provide that water source for this community as it used to be. Walking along the stream and further into the forest where lies this important water source, the primary forest that gives cover to this stream is now gone due to farming activities by the people.
Agricultural activities such as subsistence farming is the main occupation for people here and this is done through the clearing of large portion of land that is usually set on fire.
Villagers here are into a new farming season and most of the land here have been cleared using same old traditional method of putting fire on cleared wood, grass and trees. The effect of climate change is real here but disappointingly, the people do not understand what climate change is and how it is affecting them.
Paramount Chief of Nomo Faama, PC Lamin Mansaray explains the lack of education of his people and the knowledge gap when it comes to climate change.
“Our people here still used old farming methods and you can’t blame them. We do not have the knowledge on new farming method nor do we get support from government,” he said.
PC Lamin Mansaray said water sources within the chiefdom continue to shrink but this accordingly is natural.
With the planting season underway, villagers are now burning their farms in readiness for the new season. Sowing seeds have started and this is done using old farming methods. On a sunny day in this remote village far away from the city of Freetown, several farms are been burnt down marking the start of the planting season.
Apart from subsistence farming activities undertaken such as rice farming, the people here are also into cash crop farming activities. Nomo Chiefdom is well known for its cacao, coffee farming as this chiefdom is home to the Gola rainforest. The Gola Rainforest National Park was declared by President Ernest Bai Koroma and enacted by the Parliament of Sierra Leone in December 2010. The park amalgamates Gola North Forest Reserve, Gola East Forest Reserve and Gola West Forest Reserves, and is Sierra Leone's second national park.
Nomo Faama shared part of this forest and despite this important natural asset located in that part of the country not many people understand what climate change is all about and how it is affecting them.
Pa Boakai Koroma is an indigence o Nomo Faama village and a farmer who have lived in this village for the last fifty years. Pa Boakai has a large rice farm and a cacao plantation.
He said his cacao plantation farm no longer bear many fruits and this is discouraging him and many others who have same plantation.
“I don’t know what is responsible for this, may be the trees are now very old. But even the new trees do not bring forth many fruits any longer,” Pa Boakai said.
When asked about climate change his only answer was ‘this is a white man thing”.
The knowledge gap here when it comes to climate change is limited. Nomo Faama is a small chiefdom and its headquarters Faama has a population of around five hundred inhabitants. Climate Change is real here and human activities contributing to climate change is quite visible in the community.
Farming is in this village is done through the use of crude method including burning bushes. Logging is also done this part of the country and most big trees that serves as cover have been cut down. The village is very hot at night and the community is now prone to frequent flooding and wild bush fire.
