At the Ministry of Ministry of Agriculture Forestry and Food Security Conference Rom, Youyi Building, the minister, Dr. Sam Sesay chaired a presentation which he said was long overdue. He underscored the importance of water supply which is provided by the Western Area peninsula Forest and the need for closer collaboration between government, civil society and NGO’s for effective conservation.

According to Director of Forests A.B. Mansaray, the Participatory Mapping of the Western Area Peninsula Forest by the Environmental Forum for Acton, the Forestry Division and Welthungerhilfe based in the EU, is seen as one such collaboration effort.

In a bid to save the Western Area Forest and its watershed, this presentation of the pilot mapping stage is another step along a five year project path funded by the EU.

Welthungerhilfe Project Manager Jochem Moninger presented satellite images which illustrate the alarming trend of deforestation in the Western Area Reserve. A 17 year lapse between 1986 and 2003 shows just how much forest has gone and with it, millions of gallons of water which could have been supplying the capital city and its outlying areas.

These findings show that not only are water catchments under threat of depletion, but the potential for eco-tourism is also diminishing. Erosion, deterioration of soil, landslides, and high wind exposure are also increasing due to deforestation.

Environmental Forum for Action Coordinator Ansumana Swarray expressed his anxiety over the decision of government to locate a civil service training school in Kent , on land which is legislated as Forest Reserve.

During the pilot mapping phase, the Forestry Division and the Western Area Peninsula Project partners discovered that although forest reserve has been depleted in most communities due to either farming activities or construction of houses, most communities are willing to work with project staff to find an alternative to charcoal burning, stone mining and other illegal activities in the reserve.

The project is now moving forward with the slogan “Water and Forests are Life” to scale up the participatory remapping in other areas, a zonal study of the forest, a Land Property Analysis, community woodlot establishment and the enforcement of Buffer Zones.