By Prince J Musa in kenema
The Paramount Chiefs in the seven chiefdoms hosting the Gola Rainforest National Park (GRNP) have vowed to protect it through responsible use of the forest.
The traditional leaders made the commitment at a conference on forest conservation where they also committed to embark on community forest conservation, as part of efforts to preserve Sierra Leone’s flora and fauna.
The Gola Rain Forest, which is one of the largest rain forests in the West Africa region, spreads across the seven chiefdoms of Barrie and Makpele in the southern Pujehun district, Tunkia, Nomo, Koya and Gaura in the Eastern Kenema district, and Malena in the Kailahun district.
The Gola Rainforest is part of the Upper Guinea Forest, a biodiversity hotspot that stretches from Guinea to Togo, covering about seven countries in the region.
The Sierra Leonean side of the forest, with covering 71,070 hacters, is the country’s second national park.
According to recent biological surveys, the forest is home to more than 330 species of birds, 14 of which are considered threatened. It also has over 650 species of butterfly and 49 species of mammals, including a population of over 300 chimpanzees, pygmy hippopotamuses and forest elephants.
The Gola Rain Forest was declared a national park in 2010 by former President Ernest Bai Koroma and it was later enacted by Parliament.
In spite of that, deforestation remains a major threat to the park, thanks to human activities like hunting, farming and logging.
Officials say these activities have negatively impacted biodiversity thereby forcing many animals that lived there to disappear.
But there have been ongoing efforts to conserve the forest. The conference of Paramount Chiefs is just one them.
Held on the theme: 'Building Local Support for Sustainable Management of Community Forests,' the two days event (June 21-22) was convened with financial support from USAID and the West Africa Biodiversity and Climate Change Program. It accorded the traditional rulers the opportunity to map out a strategy to undertake community forest management in their respective chiefdoms.
PC Moses Sama Bunduka of the host chiefdom of Gaura said as traditional leaders they decided to work together to tackle the issues confronting the larger forest body because that way they stand a better chance of making huge impact. He noted that the forum would provide them the opportunity to let their views be heard on issues concerning the management of the forest and for them to inform their subjects about the significance of forest conservation.
"The bedrock for forest conservation lies in the hands of Paramount chiefs," PC Bunduka stated at the gathering convened at the Court Barray in Joru, the chiefdom headquarters town of Gaura.
PC Alamin Kanneh, Chairman for Paramount Chiefs in the Gola Rainforest chiefdoms, said previous efforts in conservation neglected the role of traditional rulers and that their current move is to establish their authority and send a message that their role in forest conservation is sacrosanct.
According to PC Kanneh, some US$3.5 million dollars is given to the Gola Forest Management, but that only 15% of this goes to the local people. He believes this is because the donors are not aware of the determination of the local authorities in forest conservation. Kanneh said they hoped to change this perception with this initiative.
"We want to organize ourselves as Paramount Chiefs to manage our forest and teach them that we can manage forest properly," he said, noting that while the Gola Rain Forest still belongs to the people, there is a need for strong enforcement of forest laws and that they as traditional leaders will be crucial in this regard.
Deforestation, PC Kanneh went on, has endangered many towns and villages. He cited a recent incident involving a windstorm disaster that wreaked havoc in Gorahun Tunkia. He also said as a result of deforestation, communities have been deprived of valuable bushes that had been used to fulfil important cultural rites.
Chief Kanneh recalled that the Gola Rain Forest used to be home to rare animals like tortoise, leopard, and lions, all of which he said have disappeared.
"In a nation without vision, no development will be achievable and the people will continue to perish," he said.
Julius Sama, District Forestry Officer in Kenema, appealed to the traditional leaders to use their influence and power to rally their subjects to protect the environment. He said the concept of forest management is not a new phenomenon in Sierra Leone, which used to be covered 80% with forest. Sama said human activities on the environment have reversed this trend, noting that this has not only caused poor rainfall, thereby occasioning low agricultural production, but that it also contributes to global warming.
Mr Sama said sustainable forest management will not be achieved without the commitment of traditional authorities.
“The coming together of seven Paramount Chiefs to talk on community forest management is therefore a welcome idea,” he stated.
“Conservation is one big component for the existence of life on earth and therefore it's important to take forest management important in our environment,” he added, while assuring the chiefs of his technical support to their initiative.
Moses Zombo, project coordinator of the Gola Rain Forest, said in forest Management it's important to recognize the bottom up approach so that total ownership by the people can be visible, hence the role of the Paramount chiefs.
The Paramount Chiefs were expected to issue a communiqué detailing the outcome of their meeting.
© 2019 Politico Online
