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ATLAS REPORT
Country report: Sierra Leone
Generated 15 October 2026, 04:04 from live Atlas data
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Executive summary
Atlas holds 216,141 mapped features and 37,971 observations in 25 datasets. The mapped mangrove canopy covers 149,725 ha in 8,520 polygons across 1 formation classes; Mangrove dominates with 100.0% of the area. The median patch is only 0.177 ha, while patches of 10 ha or more hold 96.8% of the area. 0 ha (0.0%) lies within 10 km of the LAPSSET development footprint.
Single mapping epoch (2019). Areas are geodesic hectares recalculated from geometry.
Species & formations
| Formation | Polygons | Area (ha) | Share | Mean patch (ha) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mangrove | 8,520 | 149,725.0 | 100.0% | 17.57 |
Shannon evenness by area: 0.00
Pressure: LAPSSET and villages
Mangrove ha by distance from LAPSSET
Mangrove ha by distance from villages
Data quality
| Dataset | Features | Repaired | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| Global Mangrove Watch: mangrove extent 2020, Sierra Leone | 15,970 | 0 | 100 |
| Global Mangrove Watch: mangrove extent 1996, Sierra Leone | 12,221 | 0 | 100 |
| Global Mangrove Watch: mangrove extent 2007, Sierra Leone | 12,064 | 0 | 100 |
| Global Mangrove Watch: mangrove extent 2010, Sierra Leone | 11,686 | 0 | 100 |
| Global Mangrove Watch: mangrove extent 2015, Sierra Leone | 10,644 | 0 | 100 |
| Global Mangrove Watch v4.1: mangrove extent 2025, Sierra Leone | 13,043 | 0 | 100 |
| Global Mangrove Watch v4.1: mangrove extent 2020, Sierra Leone | 8,520 | 0 | 100 |
| Global Mangrove Watch v4.1: mangrove extent 2015, Sierra Leone | 7,791 | 0 | 100 |
| Global Mangrove Watch v4.1: mangrove extent 2010, Sierra Leone | 6,632 | 0 | 100 |
| Global Mangrove Watch v4.1: mangrove extent 2005, Sierra Leone | 6,819 | 0 | 100 |
| Global Mangrove Watch v4.1: mangrove extent 2000, Sierra Leone | 7,255 | 0 | 100 |
| Global Mangrove Watch v4.1: mangrove extent 1996, Sierra Leone | 8,092 | 0 | 100 |
| Fibre Cable Landing Stations | 126 | 0 | 95 |
| Rivers | 228 | 0 | 95 |
| Power Plants (Power output MW) | 642 | 0 | 95 |
| Small airport | 1,979 | 0 | 95 |
| Dams | 2,586 | 0 | 95 |
| Districts | 6,099 | 13 | 95 |
| World Database on Protected Areas | 7,438 | 1 | 95 |
| Electricity Transmission Network | 9,759 | 0 | 95 |
| Divisions | 17,649 | 9 | 95 |
| Irrigated Areas | 23,095 | 1 | 95 |
| Agro-Ecological Zones | 25,791 | 17 | 95 |
| Carbon projects: Sierra Leone | 2 | 0 | 90 |
| Community and nature projects (UNDP): Sierra Leone | 10 | 0 | 90 |
Recommendations
High 13 of 9 themes have no data yet
Atlas holds no records for: Seagrass, Salt Marsh, Coastal Forests, Blue Carbon, Restoration Sites, Protected Areas & Landscapes, Land Use & Land Cover, People & Settlements, Wildlife & Habitats, Fire & Climate, Farming & Livelihoods, Mining, Oil & Licences, Surveys & Field Data. Seagrass and salt marsh would come from UNEP-WCMC global datasets; carbon projects from the Verra and Gold Standard registries; community projects from partner programmes.
Action: Ingest the planned sources listed in the Source Catalogue, starting with Global Mangrove Watch, UNEP-WCMC seagrass and salt marsh, and the carbon registries.
High Net loss of mangrove since 1996
Global Mangrove Watch maps 152,505 ha of mangrove in Sierra Leone in 1996 and 142,077 ha in 2025: a net loss of 10,428 ha (-6.8%), about 360 ha per year. This is the net balance of total mapped area; gains and losses inside the country can cancel out, so real loss may be larger.
Action: Overlay consecutive epochs to locate where the losses occurred and check them against pressures such as clearing, ports and aquaculture.
High Licence terms to be confirmed for 11 datasets
Licence terms are being confirmed with the publisher. Atlas holds the data for scientific and internal use and shows the original attribution, but cannot grant bulk redistribution rights.
Action: Request written permission from WWF Kenya, KMFRI and KFS for redistribution and derivative products.
Medium Most polygons are very small, but most area sits in large stands
42.8% of the 8,520 mapped polygons are under 0.1 ha, yet patches of 10 ha or more hold 96.8% of all mangrove area. Management and monitoring effort should focus on the large stands, while the small-patch tail needs checking against satellite imagery.
Action: Prioritise field verification of large stands; review the sub-0.1 ha tail for mapping artefacts.
Datasets & sources
| Dataset | Publisher | Features |
|---|---|---|
| Global Mangrove Watch: mangrove extent 2020, Sierra Leone | Global Mangrove Watch (Aberystwyth University, soloEO, Wetlands International, UNEP-WCMC, JAXA) | 15,970 |
| Global Mangrove Watch: mangrove extent 1996, Sierra Leone | Global Mangrove Watch (Aberystwyth University, soloEO, Wetlands International, UNEP-WCMC, JAXA) | 12,221 |
| Global Mangrove Watch: mangrove extent 2007, Sierra Leone | Global Mangrove Watch (Aberystwyth University, soloEO, Wetlands International, UNEP-WCMC, JAXA) | 12,064 |
| Global Mangrove Watch: mangrove extent 2010, Sierra Leone | Global Mangrove Watch (Aberystwyth University, soloEO, Wetlands International, UNEP-WCMC, JAXA) | 11,686 |
| Global Mangrove Watch: mangrove extent 2015, Sierra Leone | Global Mangrove Watch (Aberystwyth University, soloEO, Wetlands International, UNEP-WCMC, JAXA) | 10,644 |
| Global Mangrove Watch v4.1: mangrove extent 2025, Sierra Leone | Global Mangrove Watch (Aberystwyth University, soloEO, Wetlands International, UNEP-WCMC, JAXA) | 13,043 |
| Global Mangrove Watch v4.1: mangrove extent 2020, Sierra Leone | Global Mangrove Watch (Aberystwyth University, soloEO, Wetlands International, UNEP-WCMC, JAXA) | 8,520 |
| Global Mangrove Watch v4.1: mangrove extent 2015, Sierra Leone | Global Mangrove Watch (Aberystwyth University, soloEO, Wetlands International, UNEP-WCMC, JAXA) | 7,791 |
| Global Mangrove Watch v4.1: mangrove extent 2010, Sierra Leone | Global Mangrove Watch (Aberystwyth University, soloEO, Wetlands International, UNEP-WCMC, JAXA) | 6,632 |
| Global Mangrove Watch v4.1: mangrove extent 2005, Sierra Leone | Global Mangrove Watch (Aberystwyth University, soloEO, Wetlands International, UNEP-WCMC, JAXA) | 6,819 |
| Global Mangrove Watch v4.1: mangrove extent 2000, Sierra Leone | Global Mangrove Watch (Aberystwyth University, soloEO, Wetlands International, UNEP-WCMC, JAXA) | 7,255 |
| Global Mangrove Watch v4.1: mangrove extent 1996, Sierra Leone | Global Mangrove Watch (Aberystwyth University, soloEO, Wetlands International, UNEP-WCMC, JAXA) | 8,092 |
| Fibre Cable Landing Stations | WWF Kenya | 126 |
| Rivers | WWF Kenya | 228 |
| Power Plants (Power output MW) | WWF Kenya | 642 |
| Small airport | WWF Kenya | 1,979 |
| Dams | WWF Kenya | 2,586 |
| Districts | WWF Kenya | 6,099 |
| World Database on Protected Areas | WWF Kenya | 7,438 |
| Electricity Transmission Network | WWF Kenya | 9,759 |
| Divisions | WWF Kenya | 17,649 |
| Irrigated Areas | WWF Kenya | 23,095 |
| Agro-Ecological Zones | WWF Kenya | 25,791 |
| Carbon projects: Sierra Leone | Berkeley Carbon Trading Project, University of California, Berkeley | 2 |
| Community and nature projects (UNDP): Sierra Leone | United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) | 10 |
Methods & limits
Areas and lengths are recomputed on the WGS 84 ellipsoid; units are harmonised (ha, m, %, UTC). The mapping is a single 2019 epoch; the source publishes no licence; field plots are a sample; scenario figures are illustrative assumptions. Cite the original publishers listed above. Full methods: Methodologies page.