It was a bright Saturday morning in the Kamboi hill.  The area is actively being mined illegally by drilling and removal of tourmaline stone, gold, charcoal burning, limestone, and other mineral deposits. Mountains of gravel forest surround the area where the Kamboi hill is located.

I took the adventure to go up the hill, old mining pits, and pile of stones, muddy rocks and hug pile logs ready to burn, were a challenge to pass through. Before going to the top of the hill, I met a young boy, busy collecting sand from the ground to the location of their building project. He directed me to the heart of the forest.

With his direction, I came in contact with someone who said he is a government worker called Abu. He lives in one of the dwelling houses down the hill. Being scared of my presence, he refused giving me the needed information and ended up subjecting me to a lot of questions regarding my unannounced visit. I responded saying I am not here to harm you in any way. After creating a friendly atmosphere, he told his son by the name of Gabriel to take me deeper in to the forest.

When we got at the top of the hill, it was almost 4:30 p.m.  We had a sound like someone digging and not too long, we had a voice from a distance.

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At this time I and my Colleague tried to figure out where the sound was coming from. It was like an ambush. And we got closer to a big round pit, looking like an excavator drilled pit but in actual fact it was dug human.

For us to get in contact with one of them, the young man who went with me blew a whistle like one of them, and one of the miners that were closer to us responded. And we get closer to him. He was digging in another pit just like the previous one we saw.

I greeted him, good evening Sir. Seeing us standing on top of him, he had wanted to run way but there was no way.  He answered us in a panic mood. I identified myself as a media person with my identity card. I further said to him that we are not bad persons. These individual miners manually undertake illicit mining by separating the gravel and other unwanted substances from the soil.

We encouraged him to feel free to speak to us. At this point in time, he was now at ease to talk to us in a friendly manner. He later called on the other miners who ran away due to fear of our initial presence to come out to join him in the conversation, which they did.

One of the illegal miners who begged for anonymity said they are engaged in this illegal mining to get their daily living and to support their families. Quoting an excerpt from his statement;

“We know the Kamboi Hill is a reserved forest that is prohibited from doing mining, not to speak of cutting down trees and killing of animals”, He said.

He expressed frustration of doing mining in a restricted area under high risk in which some of his friends have lost their lives in the process. He described their work in this forest reserved as a place between life and death.

“There is no sustainable and government paid job for us to do, rather than this one. This is what we do to upkeep the home. I’m willing to do any other sustainable and paid up job, no matter where the job is.” He told us.

When we reached at the flat top of the forest, we saw from afar River Moa, running from Kailahun District through Kenema into the big rivers, and subsequently ending up into the Atlantic Ocean. At this point of the forest walk, we discovered another dwelling house. We met one woman with children who told us her husband was not around. This is what she said to us;

‘My name is Fatmata (full name withheld). I’m 35years old. I have given birth to 4 children. I also have 6 stepchildren, a total of 10 children in all that I am responsible for. My husband and I, find it difficult to live in the Kenema town, because my children find it difficult to relate with other children, due to our low financial background. My husband and I decided to put up a building here in this forest, to avoid discrimination by high and middle income family. My husband is not educated. He was fortunate to learn and become an Arabic scholar and have some young boys that he teaches the Arabic as well. With the help of these learners in contributing to the house work, I and my husband have been able to put up a shelter here’’ she told us.

There is a challenge in accessing water due to shortage. I sometimes go right down the hill to fetch drinking water; from the stream you passed before reaching here. My family and I used that water to drink and for any other domestic purpose.

I find it difficult to pay by children’s school charges and to feed my family, my only source of income is through the mining of stones from this forest.

In different occasion animals from the forest do come around at any time in the morning, and during the day.  I sometimes meet big snakes of different type in the veranda at night, which creates fear in my children.  To avoid such incident, I have a touch light that I place in the veranda, which gives light at night. Due to the brightness of this light, the snakes and other harmful animals avoid coming around our shelter at night.

“Most of these places have been sold by the land owning families and some stakeholders. The only reason why you don’t find structures on it is because of the water crisis. I am really not happy to be living here because is a reserved forest, but there is no way to do”, she concluded.

On our way inside the Kamboi hill reserved forest, we met one 35 years old Mary Kallon with her two years old daughter on her back, and a bag loaded with Charcoal on her head.

“I’m a single mother of three children, I lost my husband 15 years ago, and I have been burning Charcoal here over the years. Without this charcoal selling business, there is no other source of income for me and my children to feed and survive, to pay the children’s school charges are challenging.” She lamented.

On our way back, Gabriel who led me into the forest revealed some of the activities undertaken by the forest guards while on patrol. It includes protecting the forest from illegal mining, killing animals and logging of timbers by the community people. This however is not done regularly.

I also found certain beliefs about forest dwellers that they are frightened by evil spirits that come to them in the form of a fire particularly at nights. Though they have got used to this myth, even the stream running through the forest is used by the evil spirits as a place of resting. It is also a belief that the big tree in the center is where the female devil resides and play host to the male devil from the right hand of the forest.

The Kamboi Hill reserved forest in the eastern region of Sierra Leone is a biodiversity and ecologically valuable forest. It is one of the largest remaining blocks of tropical rainforest in the country, act as a natural carbon sink and plays a crucial role in mitigating climate change.

Trees in the Kamboi hill forest absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere during photosynthesis and store it in their biomass. This helps in reducing greenhouse gas emissions and stabilizing the global climate.

The forest provides critical ecosystem services to the surrounding landscape helps in regulating water flow, preventing flooding and maintaining soil fertility. It acts as a natural buffer and protects nearby communities from natural disasters, such as landslides and flash floods.

The preservation of this forest is vital for conserving these species and maintaining the region’s biodiversity.  Loss of habitat due to deforestation poses a significant threat to these unique animals and protecting the Kamboi Hills. Forest serves as a sanctuary for their survivals.

It will suffice to say that those qualities that gave the Kamboi hills such glory have over the years slowly been eroded by human activities in the region.  The district have started losing their value in cultural heritage and change of the beautiful weather conditions, and despite its ecological significance, the Kamboi hills reserved forest faces numerous threats. Illegal logging, expansion of tourmaline stone, limestone, charcoal burning, gold mining, building projects and other mineral reserves pose significant risks to the integrity of the forest. These activities lead to deforestation, habitat destruction and loss of biodiversity.

The presence of the Kamboi Hills has led to the involuntary displacement of nearby communities residing in the area, which have forced people to abandon their homes and traditional livelihoods, leading to social and economic disruptions. These communities often struggle to adapt to new environments, face economic hardships, and suffer from a loss of cultural heritage.

Such as logging and mining, poses direct threat to these unique and fragile ecosystems. The loss of biodiversity not only disrupts natural processes but also affects the potential for scientific research and eco-tourism, could provide sustainable economic opportunities for local communities.

Extensive deforestation and land degradation have disrupted this balance, leading to decreased water availability. Local communities reliant on these water sources for agriculture and daily needs face water scarcity, impacting their overall quality of life.

Speaking to people from the nearby communities in Kamboi hill reserved forest, it goes without saying that there is a direct logging of trees, Gold mining, charcoal burning, building project, causing climate change because the trees in the forest hold the soil together and prevent erosion, which protect the fertile lands and allows for stable agricultural practice in the region. Bellow is an opinion of people interviewed on the impact of climate change conducted in those communities.

“My name is Musu Sandi. I am 15 years old and a school pupil. I live at 1 Sumiala Street, Kenema.  I wake very early in the morning to fetch water for domestic purposes.  I covered long distance away from home, which sometimes make it very hard for me to bring water home, due to water shortage. As a result, most of the times I wear dirty uniform to school. Even to bath before going to school is sometimes challenging.” She is not the only one affected by the illegal activities in the Kamboi reserved forest.

“My name is Jattu Massaray. I live at 5 Reservation roads, Kenema for over five years now. I am a petty trader for the past years. In the evening hours, heavy breeze blows that remove some zincs from the roof of most houses.  We also sometimes experienced heavy rain in this reservation area more than any other section in Kenema during the raining season.”

Other visible effects of timber logging in the Kamboi hills of Kenema district is visibly evident in the slow destruction of our beautiful forest, bad weather conditions, road accidents, and drug abuse that have stolen many lives in Kamboi hills reserved forest today.

Kamboi hill happens to be one of the most beautiful tourist destinations especially during festive seasons, when temperatures would fall to zero centigrade or 32 degrees conducive for human habitation. This cool beautiful weather was due to the untouched trees, landscape, and mountains. The rampant logging of trees has seen the exposure of vegetation to an extent that the beautiful cold weather that was once enjoyed in the community is slowly disappearing, each year. (https://fii-institute.org/)

Kamboi hills proud of the beautiful nature they were gifted with. This place used to be very attractive tourist destination in Kenema eastern part of Sierra Leone. They attracted tourists from USA, Germany, Europe and other parts of the world.

This also contributed to the economy of the country and the life of the people in the region. Slowly the destruction of our forests and natural habitats has gradually seen less and less tourist activities in Kamboi hills reserved forest.

Memories have it that leopards, lions, zebras, elephants, and other species could once be found in Kamboi highlands in Kenema District.These creatures have become endangered and extinct as a result of the continuous slow logging of natural vegetation.

The rate at which the famous trees are decimated in the Kamboi hills in Kenema district is alarming. Something needs to be done. There is something very worrying about the rate at which timber logging, gold mining, charcoal burning, being transported out of Kamboi hills.

It is rumored that people burn charcoal. Over five to six years now, quite a considerable number of timbers have been shipped out of Sierra Leone more especially, from the Kamboi hills in Kenema Districts.

According to checkpoint sources at Bandama and elsewhere, trucks/trailers leave Kenema everyday loaded with “gbendi” logs to be exported out of the country from Freetown. These activities have negatively impacted the ecosystem and the environment that is contributing to climate change.

According to findings, the National Minerals Agency (NMA) has not always enforced this regulation properly, the NMA’s awarding of exploration licenses without an environment impact assessment and the right to EPA oversight remains a significant issue for effective environmental management. When the EPA conducts compliance and enforcement monitoring in areas where artisanal mining and exploration licenses have been granted, officers are frequently alarmed by the scale of environmental degradation caused by these unregulated mining and exploration activities, which worsen people’s socio-economic conditions and increase security and health risks as a result of contaminated open mining pits.

Also, the Environment Protection Agency has proven to be a guarantee for greater environmental governance, effective environmental management and protection have remained difficult in section 132 of the Mines and Minerals Act of 2009. It imposes a broad duty on all mineral right holders to safeguard and manage the environment. Specifically, to carry out mining operations in a reasonably practical way in order to minimise, manage, and mitigate any environmental damage resulting from such operations, including but not limited to pollution.

Tropical forests are the most important element in the global eco-system. Tropical forests are at the heart of infrastructural developments in Rwanda, Ghana, Senegal to name but a few, offering a wide range of ecosystem services, including carbon sequestration, moderation of air and water quality, as well as acting as biodiversity hotspots.

The dominant narrative is that Sierra Leone was once almost completely covered in forest but deforestation has been rapid and extreme, especially in the last ten years when the Government opened the flood gate to the export of raw, unprocessed timber to China and Europe.

More so, research shows that the greatest loss of forest is that of the Tonkolili Forest which has almost entirely disappeared. Kamboi hills will soon face this same challenge.

All forests are under threat right now, with the northern region and some parts of the Eastern region forests under severe pressure from uncontrolled logging. This is not good for our nation, generation yet unborn will suffer the consequence. Luckily, in the south-east, the Gola Forest has legal protection, and this is what we want to see in every part of Sierra Leone.

Sadly, the Loma Forest which is located in the northern part of Sierra Leone is to some extent protected by the poor road infrastructure and uninviting terrain making commercial exploitation enviable. With the country reported to have less than 5% forest cover left, the last national forest inventory was in 1975.a great deal of this could be done with remote sensing.

A new national forest inventory will first need to determine: What decisions are expected to be made using the data (for example, allocation of land for industrial-scale plantation above-ground round biomass for compliance with REDD+, examining policies to improve resilience to rapid climate change, biodiversity condition assessment of protected areas, etc.).

Deforestation which is the permanent destruction of the land or trees should become a priority development issue for the central Government, local council, and paramount chiefs. Typically, deforestation is clearing a lot of trees without the intention of establishing future growth. Nonetheless, some tree planting efforts are underway by some agencies working on climate forestation in Sierra Leone.

Forests are vital to our human survival. Trees purify our air, filter our water, prevent erosion, and act as a buffer against climate change. They offer a home to plant and animal species while also providing natural resources such as medicine, food, timber, and fuel. Millions of rural dwellers live in forests.

Climate change is like our Earth getting sick. The Kamboi Hills forest is a place where trees help keep our planet healthy. They do this by taking in a gas called carbon dioxide, which can make our Earth too warm. But when people cut down these trees and dig in the forest, it’s like breaking a big vacuum cleaner. The cleaner can’t work well, so more carbon dioxide stays in the air, making our world hotter. This messes up the weather, like making it too hot or rainy when it shouldn’t be. So, saving the forest isn’t just about trees; it’s about keeping our world the right temperature and having normal weather. People who live near the Kamboi Hills also depend on the forest. They use it for things like making houses and finding food. But because of illegal mining and cutting down trees, they’re hurting the forest. They even risk their lives doing these jobs. Plus, animals and plants that call the forest home are losing their houses too. This makes everything unbalanced. To make things better, we need to stop cutting down trees and hurting the Kamboi Hills forest. It’s important for our weather, for the animals and plants, and for the people who live there. We should also plant more trees to help clean the air. When we take care of the forest, it’s like helping the Earth stay healthy and happy. To make things right, we need to stop hurting the Kamboi Hills forest. Think of it as taking care of our planet. We can’t let it get too sick. Planting more trees is like giving Earth extra medicine. When we look after the forest, we’re helping Earth stay healthy and keeping everyone, including animals and plants, safe and sound.

In terms of Climate Change, forests are essentially the lungs of our planet. All plants take in carbon dioxide and release oxygen. Thus, when a forest is cut down, the humidity levels decrease and cause the remaining plants to dry out, as well as increased greenhouse gas emissions.

Removing trees thins the forest canopy which is meant to block sun rays during the day and holds in the heat at night. This damaging disruption leads to extreme temperature swings that are harmful to plants and animals. Many animals, insects, and plants lose their habitats and become endangered and even go extinct.

The impact of the Kamboi Hills cannot be overlooked. It is crucial for stakeholders to come together and address the environmental degradation, displacement of communities, water scarcity, and loss of biodiversity caused by human activities. By taking proactive measures and implementing sustainable practices, we can mitigate the negative impact and preserve the natural beauty and ecological value of the Kamboi Hills reserved forest for future generations.

Government’s mechanism in promoting tree planting policies will help a long way to cushion the effect of climate change in Sierra Leone.