Sierra Leone’s Second National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan 2017-2026.

Sierra Leone’s Second National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan 2017-2026 is a cross sectoral national strategy whose main objective is to conserve Sierra Leone’s biodiversity well through sound and holistic national legislation and policy implementation across all sectors.The main themes are Wildlife, Forest Biodiversity, Agricultural Biodiversity, Freshwater, Marina and Coastal Biodiversity. The cross-sector strategies and cross-cutting issues include financial resources, policies, regulations and legislation, research and training, capacity building, public participation, planning, monitoring, conservation of protected areas, sustainable use, incentive measures, public education, impact assessment, access to technology, information exchange, sharing of benefits and indigenous knowledge.
To reduce poverty the following actions will be undertaken: Plant and animal resources will be effectively harnessed and managed for the benefit of biodiversity and people; the production of other cereals and foodstuffs along with rice at local community levels will be promoted; small holder farmers will be encouraged to adopt agricultural practices that minimize biodiversity loss; more personnel will be trained and logistics for more agriculture-related extension work will be provided; agroforestry techniques will be promoted as an efficient land use practice; land use will be optimized by categorizing land based on its productive capacity; integrated land use and management system will be promoted; indigenous knowledge and intellectual property rights will be harnessed within local communities.
More inclusive and efficient agricultural and food systems will be built through utilization of diverse capacities and public participation on biodiversity conservation. Participatory approaches will be adopted at all levels of society,including chiefdom and village management committees.
Monitoring rests on the shoulders of all key stakeholders, but the process must be led by the EPA and the NPAA, which are the agencies that have the mandates to uphold and implement government policies.