{"id":627941,"date":"2024-07-17T12:00:02","date_gmt":"2024-07-17T09:00:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/sierra-leone-rangers-fight-uphill-battle-against-deforestation\/"},"modified":"2024-07-17T12:00:02","modified_gmt":"2024-07-17T09:00:02","slug":"sierra-leone-rangers-fight-uphill-battle-against-deforestation","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/sierra-leone-rangers-fight-uphill-battle-against-deforestation\/","title":{"rendered":"#Sierra Leone rangers fight uphill battle against deforestation"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_85 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-custom ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<label for=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a3db81d24a34\" class=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-label\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #dd3333;color:#dd3333\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #dd3333;color:#dd3333\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/label><input type=\"checkbox\"  id=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a3db81d24a34\" checked aria-label=\"Toggle\" \/><nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/sierra-leone-rangers-fight-uphill-battle-against-deforestation\/#Economic_incentive\" >Economic incentive<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/sierra-leone-rangers-fight-uphill-battle-against-deforestation\/#%E2%80%98Spoil_it_along_the_way\" >&#8216;Spoil it along the way&#8217;<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"article-gallery lightGallery\">\n<div data-thumb=\"https:\/\/scx1.b-cdn.net\/csz\/news\/tmb\/2024\/sierra-leone-has-one-o.jpg\" data-src=\"https:\/\/scx2.b-cdn.net\/gfx\/news\/2024\/sierra-leone-has-one-o.jpg\" data-sub-html=\"Sierra Leone has one of the highest deforestation rates in the world.\">\n<figure class=\"article-img\">\n            <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/scx1.b-cdn.net\/csz\/news\/800a\/2024\/sierra-leone-has-one-o.jpg\" alt=\"Sierra Leone has one of the highest deforestation rates in the world\" title=\"Sierra Leone has one of the highest deforestation rates in the world.\" width=\"800\" height=\"530\"\/><figcaption class=\"text-darken text-low-up text-truncate-js text-truncate mt-3\">\n                Sierra Leone has one of the highest deforestation rates in the world.<br \/>\n            <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>As the rainclouds descend on Sierra Leone&#8217;s tropical Kambui forest, a handful of khaki-clad rangers assemble for their daily patrol in the fight to preserve the West African country&#8217;s dwindling wilderness.<\/p>\n<p>                                                                                                                                    The team are from the National Protected Area Authority (NPAA) and are tasked with guarding the rainforest from encroaching illegal miners and loggers.<\/p>\n<p>But with just 62 wardens to cover some 14,000 hectares (35,000 acres), it&#8217;s an arduous <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/game\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"7\" title=\"Game\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">game<\/a> of cat and mouse.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;The devastation is getting worse every day,&#8221; said Sheku Jusu, 36, the regional NPAA conservation officer.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;When we are patrolling in the forest, every day we come across new sites that they have just started operating.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>Jusu&#8217;s words became a reality no more than 30 minutes into the rangers&#8217; ascent, when a pile of fresh sand on the riverbank indicated that mining had just taken place.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;This is very recent, this was an hour or two ago,&#8221; said Bockarie Kowa, 48, the NPAA regional coordinator.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;While we are sleeping, they come.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>By mid-morning it was already 27 degrees Celsius (80 Fahrenheit) with 96 percent humidity, and the group faced a long trek on unforgiving terrain.<\/p>\n<p>Kambui Hills Forest Reserve lies in Sierra Leone&#8217;s Eastern Province -\u2013 an area bordering Guinea and Liberia with large reserves of gold, rutile and diamonds.<\/p>\n<div class=\"article-gallery lightGallery\">\n<div data-thumb=\"https:\/\/scx1.b-cdn.net\/csz\/news\/tmb\/2024\/the-group-faced-a-long.jpg\" data-src=\"https:\/\/scx2.b-cdn.net\/gfx\/news\/2024\/the-group-faced-a-long.jpg\" data-sub-html=\"The group faced a long trek on unforgiving terrain.\">\n<figure class=\"article-img text-center\">\n            <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/scx1.b-cdn.net\/csz\/news\/800a\/2024\/the-group-faced-a-long.jpg\" alt=\"The group faced a long trek on unforgiving terrain\" title=\"The group faced a long trek on unforgiving terrain.\"\/><figcaption class=\"text-left text-darken text-truncate text-low-up mt-3\">\n                The group faced a long trek on unforgiving terrain.<br \/>\n            <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>It was the trade of so-called blood diamonds which largely financed the country&#8217;s brutal 11-year civil war, leaving some 120,000 people dead.<\/p>\n<p>But along the rocky riverbanks of the Kambui forest, the miners are predominantly searching for gold.<\/p>\n<p>Mineral-rich Sierra Leone is one of the poorest countries in the world, with the rangers blaming economic hardship for the escalating exploitation of the natural landscape.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Economic_incentive\"><\/span>Economic incentive<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>The scars of land excavation were evident along the patrol route, with orange earth and stones piled next to the occasional deep pit of an abandoned gold mine.<\/p>\n<p>Rangers said that mining was causing trees to be uprooted, which were then being exploited by illegal loggers.<\/p>\n<p>Midway through the patrol, a break in the dense tree cover gave way to a vast expanse littered with felled trees.<\/p>\n<div class=\"article-gallery lightGallery\">\n<div data-thumb=\"https:\/\/scx1.b-cdn.net\/csz\/news\/tmb\/2024\/kambui-forest-is-home.jpg\" data-src=\"https:\/\/scx2.b-cdn.net\/gfx\/news\/2024\/kambui-forest-is-home.jpg\" data-sub-html=\"Kambui forest is home to a diverse range of mammal and bird species.\">\n<figure class=\"article-img text-center\">\n            <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/scx1.b-cdn.net\/csz\/news\/800a\/2024\/kambui-forest-is-home.jpg\" alt=\"Kambui forest is home to a diverse range of mammal and bird species\" title=\"Kambui forest is home to a diverse range of mammal and bird species.\"\/><figcaption class=\"text-left text-darken text-truncate text-low-up mt-3\">\n                Kambui forest is home to a diverse range of mammal and bird species.<br \/>\n            <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>Sierra Leone has one of the highest deforestation rates in the world according to the Environmental Performance Index\u2014put together by Yale and Columbia universities.<\/p>\n<p>Since 2000, the country has lost over 35 percent of its total tree cover and 14 percent of its humid primary forests \u2014- some of the world&#8217;s most ecologically significant habitats -\u2013 according to Global Forest Watch, an online monitoring platform.<\/p>\n<p>Kambui itself is home to a diverse range of mammal species including the western chimpanzee, the black and white colobus monkey, the brush-tailed porcupine, and Maxwell&#8217;s duiker\u2014a small antelope.<\/p>\n<p>The lush forest also provides a habitat for threatened birds such as the white-necked rockfowl.<\/p>\n<p>Over the past decade and a half, the government has stepped up its conservation efforts, with the creation of the NPAA in 2012 and the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change in 2018.<\/p>\n<p>A diplomatic source, who requested anonymity due to their position, told AFP that economic interests largely fuelled Sierra Leone&#8217;s environmental drive\u2014with international climate finance supporting forest communities, and eco-tourism providing a much-needed cash boost.<\/p>\n<p>But poor coordination between government ministries, enforcement problems, and a lack of community involvement in protecting the landscapes means that deforestation continues on a large scale, they added.<\/p>\n<div class=\"article-gallery lightGallery\">\n<div data-thumb=\"https:\/\/scx1.b-cdn.net\/csz\/news\/tmb\/2024\/rangers-said-that-mini.jpg\" data-src=\"https:\/\/scx2.b-cdn.net\/gfx\/news\/2024\/rangers-said-that-mini.jpg\" data-sub-html=\"Rangers said that mining was causing trees to be uprooted.\">\n<figure class=\"article-img text-center\">\n            <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/scx1.b-cdn.net\/csz\/news\/800a\/2024\/rangers-said-that-mini.jpg\" alt=\"Rangers said that mining was causing trees to be uprooted\" title=\"Rangers said that mining was causing trees to be uprooted.\"\/><figcaption class=\"text-left text-darken text-truncate text-low-up mt-3\">\n                Rangers said that mining was causing trees to be uprooted.<br \/>\n            <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"%E2%80%98Spoil_it_along_the_way\"><\/span>&#8216;Spoil it along the way&#8217;<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Part of the NPAA&#8217;s mission is to engage local communities on the importance of preserving Sierra Leone&#8217;s abundant flora and fauna.<\/p>\n<p>But the unarmed rangers said that interactions with those they found in the forest could quickly turn sour.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;Some of them are armed&#8230; they have axes, they have machetes. So if you try to arrest them, they chase you,&#8221; said conservation officer Jusu.<\/p>\n<p>Moments after spotting the riverside excavation site, the rangers <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/download-scripts-themes-apps\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"9\" title=\"Download Scripts &amp; Themes &amp; Apps\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">app<\/a>rehended two young miners who offered little resistance as their sand-covered hands were placed in cuffs.<\/p>\n<p>Regional coordinator Kowa said that such cases were usually sent to the police, after which they could face jail.<\/p>\n<p>Mohamed, a 23-year-old <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/sciencee\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"5\" title=\"Science\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">science<\/a>s student, said he had been gold mining for two years and had little choice.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;The job is really dangerous, but we have to get money for sustenance,&#8221; he explained.<\/p>\n<div class=\"article-gallery lightGallery\">\n<div data-thumb=\"https:\/\/scx1.b-cdn.net\/csz\/news\/tmb\/2024\/the-rangers-blamed-eco.jpg\" data-src=\"https:\/\/scx2.b-cdn.net\/gfx\/news\/2024\/the-rangers-blamed-eco.jpg\" data-sub-html=\"The rangers blamed economic hardship for the escalating destruction of the forest.\">\n<figure class=\"article-img text-center\">\n            <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/scx1.b-cdn.net\/csz\/news\/800a\/2024\/the-rangers-blamed-eco.jpg\" alt=\"The rangers blamed economic hardship for the escalating destruction of the forest\" title=\"The rangers blamed economic hardship for the escalating destruction of the forest.\"\/><figcaption class=\"text-left text-darken text-truncate text-low-up mt-3\">\n                The rangers blamed economic hardship for the escalating destruction of the forest.<br \/>\n            <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>Conservation officer Jusu was well aware of the challenges in trying to change mindsets in an area where vast natural resources go hand in hand with extreme economic hardship.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;Some of these trees are very important, but (the miners) do not know the importance,&#8221; he said.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;They spoil it along the way.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p class=\"article-main__note mt-4\">\n                                                  \u00a9 2024 AFP\n                                             <\/p>\n<p>                                        <!-- print only --><\/p>\n<div class=\"d-none d-print-block\">\n<p>                                                <strong>Citation<\/strong>:<br \/>\n                                                Sierra Leone rangers fight uphill battle against deforestation (2024, July 17)<br \/>\n                                                retrieved 17 July 2024<br \/>\n                                                from https:\/\/phys.org\/<a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/news\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"2\" title=\"News\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">news<\/a>\/2024-07-sierra-leone-rangers-uphill-deforestation.html<\/p>\n<p>                                             This document is subject to copyright. Apart from any fair dealing for the purpose of private study or research, no<br \/>\n                                             part may be reproduced without the written permission. The content is provided for information purposes only.<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p><script id=\"facebook-jssdk\" async=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/connect.facebook.net\/en_US\/sdk.js\"><\/script><\/p>\n<blockquote><p><strong><span style=\"color: #ff6600;\">If you liked the article, do not forget to share it with your friends. Follow us on\u00a0<span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><a style=\"color: #ff0000;\" href=\"https:\/\/news.google.com\/publications\/CAAqBwgKMN63nwsw68G3Aw\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\">Google News<\/a><\/span>\u00a0too, click on the star and choose us from your favorites.<\/span><\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>If you want to read more Like this articles, you can visit our <span style=\"color: #ff9900;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/science\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Science category.<\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"color: black;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/phys.org\/news\/2024-07-sierra-leone-rangers-uphill-deforestation.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Source<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Sierra Leone has one of the highest deforestation rates in the world. As the rainclouds descend on Sierra Leone&#8217;s tropical Kambui forest, a handful of khaki-clad rangers assemble for their daily patrol in the fight to preserve the West African country&#8217;s dwindling wilderness. The team are from the National Protected Area Authority (NPAA) and are&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":627942,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/scx2.b-cdn.net\/gfx\/news\/2024\/sierra-leone-has-one-o.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[16],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-627941","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-sciencee"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/627941","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=627941"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/627941\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/627942"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=627941"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=627941"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=627941"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}