Afforestation Success Rates in Sierra Leone's Community-Based Forestry Management Initiatives: A Meta-Analysis

Community-based forestry management initiatives in Sierra Leone have been implemented to promote afforestation and biodiversity conservation. A mixed-methods approach combining quantitative synthesis of empirical data with thematic analysis. Studies were selected based on specified inclusion criteria, and effect sizes were calculated using standardised mean differences (SMD). The meta-analysis revealed an average SMD of 0.5 for forest regeneration success rates across all studies. Community-based forestry management initiatives in Sierra Leone are moderately effective in promoting afforestation compared to existing literature. Further research should focus on long-term sustainability and the role of local governance structures in project outcomes. The empirical specification follows $Y=\beta_0+\beta^\top X+\varepsilon$, and inference is reported with uncertainty-aware statistical criteria.