1854 x WaterAid: The Climate Commission © Ngadi Smart 2021
From WaterAid and 1854, Sierra Leonean artist Ngadi Smart sheds light on how climate change is impacting communities in her origin country.
Smart’s body of work is a story of people helping themselves: communities banding together, and – through both
traditional knowledge and innovative techniques – finding ways to adapt
On 14 October 2017, following three days of severe rainfall, a mountain valley-side slope in the Western Area Rural of
Sierra Leone – located on the outskirts of the country’s capital, Freetown – collapsed. A catastrophic landslide
developed into a breakneck stream of debris, which travelled 6km through the city and out to the coast. A World Bank
report published several weeks after the event identified 1,141 dead or missing, making it the worst natural disaster in
Sierra Leone's history.
In the wake of the mudslides, Freetown’s already-distressed water supply was dangerously contaminated by bacteria,
blood, and human remains, carrying the risk of cholera . The tragedy was but a single thread in the web of Sierra
Leone’s complex battle with the impacts of global warming — and in particular, the way it’s affecting their access to
clean water.
The West African country’s climate-exacerbated water crisis is the topic of new work from Sierra Leonean collage artist, Ngadi Smart, commissioned by WaterAid in collaboration with 1854 and British Journal of Photography earlier this year.
“[The project] is a small, complex window into what daily life can be in Sierra Leone,” says the artist, “highlighting
the cumulative effects of destabilisation, lack of infrastructure, corruption and, lastly, human-caused climate change:
an example of how this has affected, and will continue to affect, developing nations on the African continent."
Alongside shedding light on the “full reality” of Sierra Leone’s water crisis, the work is a marked rejection of the
“dehumanising” way developing African countries have historically been portrayed by Western media — instead using
vibrant collage to capture the multi-layered identities of the people and places of Smart’s country of origin.
Far from a story of helpless people, Smart’s body of work is a story of people helping themselves: communities banding
together, and – through both traditional knowledge and innovative techniques – finding ways to adapt. “I want Sierra
Leoneans to look at this work and feel proud,” says Smart, resolutely. “That's the most important thing.”
Patrick Cheah, WaterAid’s Country Director in Sierra Leone said: “The world is at a tipping point and, whilst global leaders are finding ways
to make their promises count, Ngadi’s photos reveal the real picture in Sierra Leone and the world over. People here
need a reliable supply of clean water that keeps flowing in both droughts and flooding.
“Thousands of livelihoods are at stake, but with clean water they can stay healthy, earn a living, go to school, and
adapt and build resilience to extreme weather, whatever the future holds. Ngadi’s incredible images help to put a face
on to the impact of climate change and the powerful human spirit shines through her photos.”
Explaining the venture between WaterAid and BJP, Laura Summerton, Photo Manager for WaterAid said: “This partnership has allowed us to commission new voices to tell powerful stories about the impact climate
change is having on people's access to clean water. Ngadi’s portraits illustrate a wide spectrum of lived experiences in
Sierra Leone - there is no one, single narrative that defines ‘access to water’ in the country. This essential issue has
many layers and complications, evident in the intricate and arresting collages that she has so thoughtfully created.”