Healing the Rokel: community water restoration in Sierra Leone

Last year, many community members living along the River Rokel experienced a sharp decline in fish populations, with several reporting fish deaths and a noticeable reduction in daily catches. This was closely linked to increasing water pollution, illegal dumping of waste into the river, deforestation along riverbanks, and erosion caused by climate change impacts. As the river became more degraded, both biodiversity and livelihoods that depend on it were severely affected.

EquiEarth Foundation Sierra Leone is responding to this crisis through a community-led restoration approach focused on restoring the River Rokel watershed. Our work brings together youth, women, traditional leaders, and local stakeholders to co-design and implement practical solutions that restore ecosystem health and strengthen community resilience.

We support riverbank restoration through tree planting and natural regeneration, organize community clean-up campaigns to reduce pollution, and promote environmental education to change harmful practices. We also work with communities to strengthen and enforce local environmental bylaws, improving governance and accountability for sustainable resource use.

Funds raised through this project will help expand restoration activities, establish community tree nurseries, equip “River Guardian” groups for local monitoring, and strengthen environmental education efforts across more communities.

Our goal is to restore the health of the River Rokel, bring back biodiversity such as fish populations, and ensure that communities can once again depend on a clean, healthy, and resilient river system for their livelihoods and future well-being.