Nyangai Island

Nyangai Island : Recently in the southern waters of Sierra Leone, Nyangai Island, once a thriving coastal settlement, has come dangerously close to vanishing. In less than a decade, the island has lost nearly two-thirds of its landmass, now reduced to just 200 by 100 metres.

• About Nyangai Island : A small island located approximately 100 kilometres south of Sierra Leone’s capital, Freetown.

o Impact of Rising Sea Levels: The encroaching Atlantic Ocean continues to erode the island, leading to the destruction of homes, farmlands, and essential infrastructure.

o Sharp Population Decline: The population has plummeted from around 1,000 residents to just 300, as families are forced to relocate or live in overcrowded, deteriorating conditions.

o Loss of Cultural Heritage: The ongoing environmental devastation is threatening centuries-old fishing traditions, community practices, and the islanders’ way of life.

• About Sierra Leone: A tropical nation located in West Africa along the Atlantic coast.

o Borders: It shares its northern and eastern borders with Guinea, its southern border with Liberia, and is bounded by the Atlantic Ocean to the west.