As Nyangai Island sinks into the Atlantic, its people cling to the last stretch of land — and their memories. Could this be the most powerful place to tell Sierra Leone’s climate story?
A Vanishing Island
On Sierra Leone’s southern coast, the island of Nyangai, part of the Turtle Islands, is disappearing. Ten years ago, it stretched more than 2,300 feet from end to end. Today, only a patch remains — about 300 feet long and 250 feet wide. What used to be home to a lively fishing community is now a shrinking piece of sand surrounded by the sea.
For the people who still live there, climate change is not a future threat. It is happening in front of their eyes. Every wave takes away another piece of their home. Coconut trees that once shaded the beach now stand half-buried in saltwater. The villagers know that one day soon, the island might be gone.
“This island gave me back my mother. Now it’s fading away, taking our memories with it,” said a local teacher, Abu who came to Nyangai years ago in search of his mother, who had fled there during the civil war.
He found her and stayed, becoming one of the few teachers on the island. Despite the hardship, he says Nyangai remains special. “You can sleep here all night and wake up with no mosquito bite,” he added, smiling sadly.
School Under a Tarpaulin
Life on the island is hard, especially for children. The only school is a small structure made of bamboo poles and tarpaulin sheets. It serves as both a classroom and a cinema at night. More than 200 pupils attend lessons there, sitting on wooden benches in dark rooms without electricity or proper ventilation.
When it rains, the sea floods the floor. Classes stop until the water drains away. Yet the children still come every day, carrying their books through knee-deep water.
Outside, they play football on what little land remains, pointing to the waves where their field once stood. “That was our football ground,” one boy said. “Now the sea has taken it.”
The Island That Speaks for the Planet
The story of Nyangai is not just about one island. It is a warning to the world. Rising sea levels, caused by melting ice and warming oceans, are threatening coastal communities everywhere — from the Pacific Islands to West Africa.
According to Sierra Leone’s Environment Protection Agency (EPA), the country is among “the ten percent most vulnerable nations to climate impacts globally.” Flooding, coastal erosion, and saltwater intrusion are becoming more severe each year.
In a United Nations report, experts warned that “valuable ecosystems and communities along Sierra Leone’s coast will be severely impacted by climate change,” with increased storm surges and strong winds putting fragile areas like the Turtle Islands at greater risk.
A 2023 NPR report described Nyangai as one of the “world’s disappearing islands,” quoting local leaders who said that more than half of the island’s land area has already been swallowed by the sea.
“It used to be one of the biggest islands here,” a fisherman told NPR. “Now, every year, the water comes closer. Soon, there will be nothing left.”
Could It Host a Climate Conference?
As global attention grows on climate change, Sierra Leone has been part of international conversations — from the UN Climate Conferences (COP) to regional meetings on environmental protection. Some environmentalists now suggest that Nyangai could host a future climate change conference — a symbolic choice that would force the world to face the human cost of climate change.
Hosting the event on an island that is literally disappearing could send a powerful message. It would bring global leaders, scientists, and journalists face-to-face with the reality of rising seas and climate loss.
“If world leaders stood here and saw what is happening to us, maybe they would understand better,” said one one island resident.
The idea is ambitious. But advocates say it could inspire immediate climate action — and spotlight Sierra Leone’s struggle to protect its coastal communities.
Why It Matters
Across Sierra Leone, hundreds of coastal communities face similar threats. Villages in Bonthe, Shenge, and Lakka have already lost homes to the sea. Farmers are watching their land turn salty, and fishermen are losing their livelihoods as fish move further offshore.
A report by UNDP warned that the country’s coastal zone is “highly vulnerable to the increased frequency and severity of coastal erosion, flooding, and storm surges.” These changes threaten not only lives but also cultural heritage and local economies.
Hosting a climate conference at Nyangai — or even a special session or documentary screening there — could highlight these realities and strengthen Sierra Leone’s case for more international support.
A Race Against Time
As the sun sets over Nyangai, waves crash closer to the tarpaulin school. The laughter of children echoes across the shrinking sand.
The teacher who once came here searching for his mother now teaches children who may never know the island as it once was.
“I tell them to study hard,” he said. “Because one day, they might have to move, and they will need their education to start again.”
If Sierra Leone’s leaders ever decide to host a climate conference here, they will not only bring the world’s eyes to Nyangai — they might also give its people a chance to be remembered before the sea takes the last piece of their island.
