Introduction

With the growing environmental awareness globally, and the pursuit of sustainable environmental  development in Sierra Leone, the Government of Sierra Leone realized the need to hive off the Divisions of Environment and Forestry  from their  ministries and established the National Commission on the Environment and Forestry (NaCEF)  in August, 2005.

The Environment Protection Department (EPD) as an arm of NaCEF has the responsibility to promote and achieve sound environmental management for sustainable development in the country. In government efforts to enable EPD undertake this responsibility, three official documents known as the National Environmental Policy (NEP), National Environmental Action Plan (NEAP) and National Environmental Protection Act (NEPA) were developed. Click on NEP and NEPA to know more about EPD responsibilities, government’s policy and regulation on environmental management in the country.

EPD is structured into two main sections namely the Natural Resources Management Unit and Pollution Control Unit. In a bid to further enhance the ability of NaCEF, through EPD, to more effectively carry out its coordinating and implementing role for environmentally sound and sustainable development, the Policy and Planning Section and the Enforcement and Compliance Section will be established.