Lost Freetown, a film by Nazia Parvez
LOST FREETOWN: A 30-min documentary unravelling the environmental disaster in Freetown, the capital of Sierra Leone. The film shows how urban migration and displacement caused by the decade long civil war have resulted in a doubling of the population of Freetown, stretching the city resources beyond capacity. One interviewee extrapolates that up to 90% of Freetown residents live in what can be described as slums, according to the UN Habitat definition of a slum or informal settlement.
With an unprecedented demand for land, housing, water, fuel and building materials, the environment has undergone wholesale destruction, leading to deforestation and dwindling forest reserves; soil erosion; depletion of traditional water-catchment areas and the corresponding change in weather patterns; coastline erosion and pollution.
While the situation looks bleak, there are initiatives underway that promise hope for the future. A community led eco-resort on Banana Island shows how the locals are using the spectacular landscape of the island to create a development that enhances the environment, contributes to the local community, and above all, is sustainable for the future.
