Residents of Freetown unite to plant 1 million trees and build resilience

Residents of Freetown unite to plant 1 million trees and build resilience

28 October 2020 | By TED COUNTDOWN

Share This Page:

Yvonne Aki-Sawyerr, mayor of Freetown, Sierra Leone, is on a mission to plant a million trees over the next two years, increasing vegetation in her city by fifty percent while shoring up eroding riverbanks and increasing biodiversity. “This isn’t just about planting trees; it’s about growing trees, and it’s about ensuring that each one of us is part of the process,” she says. “A million trees is our city’s small contribution to increasing the much-needed global carbon sink.”

This talk was presented at an official TED conference.

Related Reading

Don’t Throw Out the Good Stuff: How a Food Bank in Argentina Partners to Prevent Waste and Create Jobs

Don’t Throw Out the Good Stuff: How a Food Bank in Argentina Partners to Prevent Waste and Create Jobs

01 October 2026

| By Global FoodBanking Network

Storytelling Agriculture Cities Small Business Interview Jobs Social Development Action Agenda
Record heat tested US power grids. Energy expert Doug Arent explains how they withstood the challenge

Record heat tested US power grids. Energy expert Doug Arent explains how they withstood the challenge

31 August 2026

| By Climate High-Level Champions

Storytelling Policy States & Regions Action Agenda
Lagos will soon reach 46°C. Can a city built on concrete cool itself down?

Lagos will soon reach 46°C. Can a city built on concrete cool itself down?

28 August 2026

| By Climate High-Level Champions

Storytelling Cities Human Development Action Agenda
South Africa’s Waste Reclaimers Are Building a Zero Waste Future – and Reclaiming their Lives

South Africa’s Waste Reclaimers Are Building a Zero Waste Future – and Reclaiming their Lives

24 August 2026

| By Climate High-Level Champions

Storytelling Business Cities Policy States & Regions Action Agenda Race to Resilience