The Conservation Society of Sierra Leone (CSSL) is a national conservation NGO that strengthens community-led natural resource governance and management through science-informed conservation, policy and advocacy, environmental education, and community development. We support communities to sustainably manage ecosystems, co-create locally relevant solutions to climate and biodiversity threats, and advocate for stronger environmental laws and accountable development.

Founded in 1986, CSSL is Sierra Leone’s oldest environmental NGO. It emerged in response to severe environmental degradation caused by unregulated mining, deforestation, and unsustainable land use, and has evolved into a trusted, credible, and community-embedded organization. CSSL operates at the intersection of conservation, development, and governance, with a particular emphasis on bridging grassroots realities with national and global environmental agendas.

Our work is grounded in the recognition that conservation and human well-being are inseparable. In a country where over 60% of people depend on natural resources for their livelihoods, and where institutional enforcement remains weak, empowering communities to lead in resource governance is both urgent and necessary. We work in landscapes where biodiversity is under threat, where climate change is intensifying vulnerability, and where socio-political dynamics—such as uneven law enforcement, contested land rights, and limited local voice in decision-making—shape environmental outcomes.

Sierra Leone is one of West Africa’s most biodiverse countries, home to globally significant ecosystems including the Gola Rainforest, mangrove-rich estuaries like Yawri Bay and the Sierra Leone River, highland forests such as the Kambui Hills, and important wetland systems around Lake Sonfon. These ecosystems support endangered species, regulate the climate, and sustain millions of people who rely on them for food, water, medicine, and livelihoods.

Yet these ecosystems face mounting threats from illegal logging, unsustainable land use, mining, agricultural expansion, and weak enforcement of environmental regulations. Despite legal reforms such as the Customary Land Rights Act and Environmental Protection Act, implementation remains uneven and communities often lack the resources or recognition to manage their environments effectively. CSSL works at the intersection of these challenges and opportunities—engaging in areas where local action can have national and global impact.

Our work is currently focused in the following landscapes:

• Gola Rainforest National Park – supporting community engagement, biodiversity monitoring, and REDD+ benefit-sharing.
• Yawri Bay and the Sierra Leone River Estuary – restoring mangrove ecosystems and building climate resilience in coastal communities.
• Kambui Hills – advancing community-led governance and species protection in a critical Upper Guinean forest block.
• Lake Sonfon and Falaba District – strengthening community land governance and reducing pressures from mining and unsustainable farming.
• Western Area Peninsula National Park – supporting ecosystem restoration and urban biodiversity protection.
• Sahn Malen and Socfin concession areas – improving private sector accountability and safeguarding High Conservation Value areas through community coordination.

Across Sierra Leone, we are working with 69 coastal communities and 230 forest-fringed communities. Through our landscape work, we blend biodiversity conservation with climate resilience, community development, and environmental justice—ensuring that local people are not only included but empowered to shape the future of Sierra Leone’s natural heritage.