Ministry Of The Environment & Climate Change

30/01/2026

Ministry of the Environment and Climate Change Hosts Stakeholders Engagement on the National F𝐨𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐭 I𝐧𝐯𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐲 in Kenema, East𝐞𝐫𝐧 𝐑egion.*

Comm Unit/MoECC

The Ministry of the Environment and Climate Change has engaged Stakeholders including Paramount Chiefs, European Union, FAO, ONS, RSLAF, SLP, Members of Parliament, Local Councils, amongst others from Kailahun, Kono, and Kenema District respectively, on stakeholders engagement on the National Forest Inventory-SL (NFI) at the Albertson Hall in Kenema.

The purpose is to inform revered Paramount Chiefs on the NFI implementation that is funded by EU with techinical support from Food Agriculture Organization (FAO). This is to inform also inform Paramount Chiefs to support the NFI implementation process with a clear goal to promote the sustainable use of forest resources that will pave the way to increase access to climate finance leading to community and country's economic development.

The key objectives are to increase awareness about the project "Support to Sustainable Forestry in Sierra Leone" through the conduct of NFI for stakeholders to buy-in, for Stakeholders to be well informed about NFI data collection within their region, for prompt visibility, accountability, and responsiveness in project implementation, enhance effective implementation of the project through strategic communication with key audience, and to project activities documented, milestone and promote timely information sharing.

Delivering the keynote statement, the Minister of the Environment and Climate Change, Jiwoh E. Abdulai called on local authorities to fully support the ongoing National Forest Inventory (NFI) exercise, stressing its importance for sustainable forest management and climate action. He stressed that community leaders should know the state of the forest and how to manage it in a sustainable way so that future generation could benefit.

"Today's engagement is about stakeholder consultation on the NFI process and make information available to the Paramount Chiefs on where forest exist and where it doesn't", he stated. He continued that the said exercise would assess Sierra Leone’s forest cover, identify areas needing rehabilitation, and reposition the country to access climate finance. He assured stakeholders that the information gathered would benefit chiefdoms, districts, national institutions, and international partners.

The Minister called on traditional authorities to support President called on his year of accelerated delivery to intensify conservation efforts in their various districts. He expressed the ministry's commitment to roll out projects that would enable communities become more resilience and change local livelihood.

The engagement was climaxed by Chiefdom and District authorities making salient contributions and pledging their commitments for commencement of the NFI data collection process in their various chiefdoms.

22/01/2026

*Ministry of the Environment and Climate Change to Benefit from GEF Project.*

22/01/2026
Comm Unit/MoECC

Minister of the Environment and Climate Change, Jiwoh Emmanuel Abdulai has held fruitful meeting with World Bank team and West Africa Food Systems Resilience Program FSRP on implementation of GEF funded project. The meeting was held at the FSRP office 14 Pipeline Drive, Off Wilkinson Road, Freetown.

The objective of the meeting was to discuss component-specific technical details of implementation, review progress in monitoring and evaluation, review project procurement, financial management, and environmental and social safeguards issues.

The Minister of the Environment and Climate Change welcomed the support of the project, whilst taken cognizance for extension of similar development in other districts to benefit. He acknowledged the implementation the project in seven districts which include Tonkolili, Falaba, Bo, Moyamba, Kailahun, Kambia and Port Loko district respectively. The Minister called for ground capacity assessment before full-scale implantation of the project. He acknowledged the formation of a technical committee on the project which would constitute technical team of the ministry and its agencies. He supported the notion for the ministry to serve as host to the project during implementation.

The FSRP team did a presentation of which key among other presentations was the proposed support plan of the project which seeks to strengthen coordination between the ministry, its agencies and other MDAs, render technical assistance to support policy, and regulation development on climate resilience, nature base solutions and integrated landscape management, to support limit infrastructure upgrade, support for operationalizing its gender strategy through technical assistance to mainstream the policy into their planning and program activities, training and design implementation of nature base solutions, and technical assistance to support the development of regulatory and legal policy regulations.

The meeting concluded with a seven point agreements to kick-start implementation of the project.

12/12/2025

*Sierra Leone Forges Stronger GEF Climate Funding Future*

Minister Jiwoh Abdulai met with Dr. Chizuru Aoki, Head of Multilateral Agreements and Funds, Global Environment Facility (GEF) during UNEA7 to strategise on the LDC Fund plans for the 2026-2030 cycle.

The key focus was on Sierra Leone taking a more active role in mobilising greater support for Least Developed Country (LDC) priorities.

Sierra Leone continues to advocate for the GEF as the most effective channel for climate and nature finance to reach countries in greatest need. We agreed on closer cooperation, positioning Sierra Leone as a constructive partner in driving vital funding for LDCs.

11/12/2025

His Excellency President Dr. Julius Maada Bio visits cross section of Ministry of Environment and Climate Change including the Deputy Minister, Hon. Mima Sobba-Stephens, the Parmanent Secretary, Elizabethe Hawa Ellie, Chief Director, Edward Bendu, and other staff after his officially launch of the Civic Festival 2025 at the Youyi Building in Freetown.

The event brings together leadership of Ministries, Departments and Agencies, youth advocates, and community actors to celebrate active citizenship and inclusive governance. The President’s presence highlights the Government’s strong support for citizen engagement and national unity.

25/11/2025

Deputy Minister of the Environment and Climate Change Calls on Religious Leaders to inspire actions to protect the Environment.

The Deputy Minister, Hon. Mima Yema Sobba-Stephens made this disclosure at the lauch of the National Faith-Base Network on Climate Change and Gender Justice organized by Inter-Religious Council of Sierra Leone in partnership with Council of Churches in Sierra Leone, at the New Brookfields Hotel.

The launching was done under the theme “Faith in Action for Climate and Gender Justice."

Delivering her statement at the launching, Hon. Sobba-Stephens acknowledged that the theme reminded everybody that faith is not just what is being preached inside churches, mosques, and temples but it is also constitute actions taken in communities, how people treated one another, and how people cared for the earth that has been created by God.

"Climate change is no longer a distant worry. It is something we can see and feel every day. We see it in the strange weather, the heavy rains, the flooding, the heat, the damaged farmlands, the rising cost of food, and the suffering of poor families who depend on nature", she stated. She entreated people of faith to believe that God made the earth and commanded man to protect it which indicates that climate action is not just a scientific issue but a moral duty to show respect to God’s creation and protecting it for the future.

The Deputy Minister recognized the relevance of faith in Gender Justic, nothing that girls, women, boys, and men all have equal rights, equal opportunities, and equal respect. Consequently, she affirmed that women suffered the most from climate change. "When water becomes scarce, it is women who walk long distances. When crops fail, women struggle to feed their homes. When disasters strike, women and girls are often the most vulnerable. Our faith teaches us that all human beings are created equal and deserve dignity. So, supporting gender justice is not going against religion but living out the true teachings of love, fairness, and compassion", she reaffirmed.

Hon. Sobba-Stephens took cognizance of the role of Inter-Religious Council in promoting climate and gender justice by underscoring key critical factors notably, to bring different faiths together by speaking with one voice, to influence communities through their teachings to change attitudes, reshape behaviour, and inspire actions, to promote peace and understanding. She discloed that Inter-religious councils should helped reduce tensions and bring harmony, support government and civil society, work with national and local authorities to ensure that climate and gender policies reached the people who needed them most. Similarly, she noted that Religious leaders should remind communities about caring for the earth, respecting women, protecting children, and helping the mosr vulnerable people.

She said that faith is powerful when people joined hands across religions and used their faith to inspire actions to protect the environment, support women and girls, and build a just and peaceful nation.

"Let us leave here ready to act.
Let us speak boldly.
Let us teach strongly.
Let us protect the earth faithfully.
And let us stand together for both climate justice and gender justice. Because when faith is put into action, real change happens", she affirmed.

23/11/2025

https://apnews.com/article/cop30-climate-change-brazil-fossil-fuels-f41d0dac0553825bdbe1fba5ac31ed90

After two weeks of negotiations, this year’s United Nations climate talks have ended with what critics are calling a weak compromise.

23/11/2025

“Sierra Leone refuses to surrender to the climate crisis. We choose
resilience, transformation and progress.”

As COP concludes for another year, listen back to Minister Jiwoh Abdulai’s ministerial address at this year’s in Brazil.

22/11/2025

“The private sector does not work for adaptation. … If it worked, we wouldn’t be here.” - Sierra Leone’s Environment & Climate Change Minister, Jiwoh Abdulai speaking to the media in between negotiations at COP30.

https://www.devex.com/news/sierra-leone-challenges-cop30-push-for-private-sector-to-fund-adaptation

Sierra Leone’s Minister for Environment and Climate Change Jiwoh Abdulai says that the private sector can’t meet adaptation needs.

21/11/2025

On the margins of the Climate Change Conference in Brazil, Minister Jiwoh Abdulai met with his Brazilian counterpart, Her Excellency Minister Marina Silva.

They spoke about how Brazil and Sierra Leone’s respective environment ministries can collaborate on common issues.

20/11/2025

Ministry of the Environment and Climate Change Engages Stakeholders on Review of the 1988 Forestry Act and 1972 Wildlife Conservation Act.

The Ministry of the Environment and Climate Change has on the 20th November, 2025, held a One Day Regional Consultative Meeting with Stakeholders including Paramount Chiefs, ONS, RSLAF, SLP, Members of Parliament, Local Councils, Civil Society Oraganizations amongst others to review the Forestry and Wildlife Legislations with techinical support from and funding from . The meeting was held at the Garden Estate in Makeni, Bombali District.

The Deputy Secretary of the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change, Foday Sesay gave the purpose of the meeting noting that the existing legislations have become absolute. He acknowleded that the review process is to replace the existing laws with an updated ones which could aligned with national priorities, international environmental commitments, and emmerging best practice for sustainable forest management and wildlife conservation. He said that the engagement with stakeholders is to seek their expert recommendations and perspectives to identify existing gaps, strengthen regulatory provisions and proposed actionable reforms which could lead to having a standard legislations to preserve the forest resources.

The Chairman of the Consultative meeting who doubles as the Provincial Secretary, North-East, Prince Alex Soriba acknowledged the Paramount Chiefs as an agent for development who are determined to manage the forest land cover through enforcement of the customary laws. He took cognizance of the historic transformation of the colonial laws which brought about the 1988 Forestry Act that was replaced by the Forestry Amendment Act of 2022. He noted that this simplified the urgent need to review these existing laws for sustainable forest management. He affirmed that the contributions of traditional Authorities are crucial to having a consolidated document to manage the forest resources in Sierra Leone .

The National Project Coordinator,
National Forest Inventory, Patrick Abu-Mattia on behalf of the FAO Country Representative, acknowledged 's vital steps towards addressing key emmerging issues in strengthen the governance framework for the protection and sustainable management of Sierra Leone's natural resources for the current and subsequent generation. He recognized that reviewing these legislations would promote sustainable forest management practices that balanced economic development with ecological preservation as Sierra Leone's forests are vital for biodiversity, climate regulation, livelihoods of many communities, ensure strengthening wildlife protection. He continued by emphasizing that the new laws would incorperate measures to address emerging challenges such as climate change, deforestations, habitat loss, and responding to new opportunities and emerging situations amongst others to promote sustainable forest management and biodiversit conservation within Sierra Leone.

The National Consultant, Lawyer R.S.V. Wright reiterated that the laws delegate more powers to government with little or no benefit to communities. He noted that the laws have become absolute which require consultations with government institutions, donor partners and most significantly, with community stakeholders. He underscored the relevance of the review process, noting that the review of these legislations is to solicit the views, opinions and grievances from the Paramount Chiefs and how community people could benefit from the forest resources.

Delivering the keynote Statement, the Deputy Minister of the Environment and Climate Change, Hon. Mima Yema Sobba-Stephens acknowledged the roles of Paramount Chiefs as crucial in supporting the governance framework on the environment and climate change. She underscored the relevance of protecting the forest, noting that the forests provide the natural ecosystem services for human survival. She noted that traditional Authorities are instrumental in reviewing these legislations as a result of their knowledge to identify the current status of the forests in their communities, and could also give solid contributions to improve livelihood sustainability through forests management, and boost tourism through wildlife protection.

Hon. Sobba-Stephens reiterated that replacing the existing laws is to meet up with international standards and subsequently resolved emmerging issues that bothered around sustainable forest management and wildlife conservation. She assured stakeholders that the review process would remained transparent so that these legislations could reflect stakeholder's views, and recommendations.

Meanwhile, the consultative meeting was climaxed by group work sessions and presentations with assurance to replacing the existing Forestry Act and Wildlife Conservation Act.

20/11/2025

At , Minister Jiwoh Abdulai represented the Least Developed Countries (LDCs) group in consultations on and agenda items, with the COP presidency’s designated peered ministers.

Consultations are held with Parties to try to get convergence on draft text before it goes to the COP plenary.

15/11/2025