On August 23rd to 25th, 92 Sierra Leonean returned migrants participated in a tree planting and donation campaign in Freetown. The Freetown the Treetown initiative, led by the Freetown City Council (FCC) in collaboration with IOM, works with residents and participants to plant, grow, and digitally track trees in the capital city. The project aims to “restore what has been lost and protect it for future generations.” Freetown has undergone rapid population growth and recurrent disasters, both contributing to the loss of millions of trees and exposure of the City population to the effects of climate change and an urban sprawl that encroaches on the forested peninsula surrounding the city.

“Freetown faces many environmental challenges that affect our lives such as flooding, extreme heat, landslides, and air pollution. These natural hazards are only worsening with a changing climate,” says Peter Kamara, a Reintegration Assistant at IOM Sierra Leone.

“The tree-planting activity aims to foster community involvement and ownership in urban greening efforts, enhance the environment and quality of life, reduce the impact of urban heat through increased tree cover, and improve air quality by increasing the number of trees that absorb pollutants. It also inspires a broader culture of environmental preservation and stewardship throughout the city.”

Freetown the Treetown has so far proved immensely successful; the city is on course to meet its ambitious target of planting one million trees by the end of 2024. The participation of returned migrants supported by IOM in this initiative is a strong example of IOM’s commitment towards mainstreaming Human Mobility and Climate Change into its migration programming. The event also raises awareness of these issues throughout local communities, where migrants can act as ambassadors for positive participation and change towards environmental sustainability and stewardship.

During the three-day event, the returned migrants contributed to tree planting, household registrations, and the giveaway of over 25,000 plants to city residents. Fatmata, a returned migrant from Niger, shares what ignited her passion to volunteer for the initiative:

“During my migration journey, I was shocked to find the vast land of the Sahara Desert without any trees or shade to rest under. Coming from a country abundant in lush greenery, it was at that moment when I started missing home.” She adds: “I am passionate about this tree-planting initiative, and I am happy to volunteer, because as our people often say: ‘we may never know the value of shade until the tree is gone.’"

For further information, please contact Bilal Kamara (bilkamara@iom.int) IOM Sierra Leone Communications Unit.

SDG 13 - Climate Action