By Emma Black
His Excellency Dr. Morie Komba Manyeh, Sierra Leone’s High Commissioner to the United Kingdom, has reaffirmed his country’s commitment to global conservation efforts during a high-level meeting with senior officials of the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, on Tuesday, July 8, 2025, the engagement took place at the iconic David Attenborough Building at Cambridge University an apt venue that symbolizes decades of environmental advocacy.
Sir David Attenborough’s first major documentary, the Zoo Quest to Sierra Leone (1954), brought international attention to the Gola Rainforest, launching both his celebrated career and Sierra Leone’s global reputation as a biodiversity haven. Today, the rainforest remains one of West Africa’s most ecologically rich landscapes and a critical focus of conservation partnerships.
During the meeting, Dr. Manyeh and RSPB officials explored strategies to strengthen the existing collaboration on the Gola Rainforest a protected area covering over 70,000 hectares, home to 327 bird species and countless endangered animals, including pygmy hippos and chimpanzees.
A central topic of discussion was the ongoing Gola REDD Project (Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation), West Africa’s first large-scale forest carbon initiative. This groundbreaking project not only safeguards the forest ecosystem but also supports over 24,000 people across 122 forest-edge communities. It provides sustainable alternatives to deforestation through agroforestry, conservation education, healthcare support, and eco-enterprises while generating verified carbon credits that help reduce approximately 500,000 tonnes of CO₂ emissions annually.
Among the RSPB delegation were, Dr. Jo Gilbert, Director of International Programmes, Alade Adeleke, Programme Manager for Sierra Leone, Richard Dixon, Head of the Greater Gola Landscape, Lilian Goredema, International Programme Officer, Bruce Liggit, Senior Policy Officer
They presented updates on the Gola Programme’s milestones and future plans, including cross-border conservation efforts through the Greater Gola Landscape, a 350,000-hectare ecological corridor shared with Liberia under the Mano River Union framework.
Dr. Manyeh, accompanied by Second Secretary Mrs. Mbalia Sankoh and Information Attaché Mr. Abdulai Braima, applauded RSPB and its implementing partners the Government of Sierra Leone, the Conservation Society of Sierra Leone (CSSL), and local forest-edge communities for their steadfast dedication to conservation. He emphasized Sierra Leone’s unwavering commitment to preserving its natural heritage while improving the livelihoods of rural citizens.
The Gola Rainforest is not only a symbol of Sierra Leone’s environmental wealth, Dr. Manyeh stated, but also a testament to the power of partnerships in driving sustainable development and post-conflict peacebuilding.
The meeting also highlighted the role of the Gola Rainforest Conservation (GRC), a non-profit organization managing the project on the ground. With its model of inclusive, community-driven conservation, the GRC exemplifies how governments, local people, and international NGOs can work together to achieve environmental and economic resilience.
As climate change and biodiversity loss threaten ecosystems globally, Sierra Leone’s partnership with the RSPB continues to stand as a beacon of collaborative environmental stewardship bridging tradition, science, and sustainability for future generations.
Copyright –Published in Expo Times News on Friday,11th July, 2025 (ExpoTimes News – Expo Media Group (expomediasl.com)
