Project

Adapting to climate change induced coastal risks management in Sierra Leone

Lead country

Sierra Leone

Participating countries

Sierra Leone

Project status

Under implementation

Implementing period

From April 25, 2018 to April 25, 2023

SDGs addressed by this project

SDG targets

  1. 1.5 Build resilience of poor to climate, shocks
  2. 13.1 Strengthen resilience, adaptive capacity to climate-related hazards
  3. 13.3 Improve learning, capacity on climate change measures

Project ID: 5178

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Technical team

  • Climate Change Adaptation Programme

Technical area(s)

  • Mainstreaming integrated policy and planning for climate-resilient & sustainable development
  • Climate resilient integrated water resource and coastal management

Landscape(s)

  • Wetlands

Sub-landscape(s)

  • Mangroves

Transformed sector(s)

  • Materials and manufacturing
  • Metals and Mining

UNDP role(s)

  • Capacity development / Technical assistance
  • Data collection and analysis
  • Innovative approaches

Strategy

  • Law regulation
  • Monitor inventory
  • Capacity building

Sub-strategy

  • Laws/ Policy/ Plan formulation
  • Knowledge/Data management
  • Institutional capacity building
  • Awareness raising

Social inclusion

  • Local community/CSOs
  • Youth/Children

Gender equality

  • Women farmers
  • Livelihoods for women

Gender result effectiveness scale

  • Gender targeted

Pathway(s)

  • Systems pathway
  • People pathway
  • Sci-tech pathway

Risk reduction target(s)

  • Improve resilience

SDG target(s)

  • 1.5 Build resilience of poor to climate, shocks
  • 13.1 Strengthen resilience, adaptive capacity to climate-related hazards
  • 13.3 Improve learning, capacity on climate change measures

Conventions and protocols

N/A

Private sector(s)

N/A

Hot topic

  • Food and agricultural commodities strategy

About this project

Description

The coastal zone of Sierra Leone is highly vulnerable to the increased frequency and severity of coastal erosion, flooding and storm surges which severely impact social wellbeing (health), livelihood security (and water resources) and major economic sectors such as fishing, tourism, water resources and agriculture. Coastal communities are already experiencing considerable repercussions of these impacts, notably on their livelihoods with reduced fishing productivity, ecosystem degradation and low farming outputs. The limited accessibility of climate-related data limits the ability of decision-makers to make informed planning and policy decisions for the coast (in particular marine and sea parameters databases such as wave height, wave period, wind speed and direction), and to take any clear strategic actions to remedy these negative effects. This inadequate lack of knowledge is contributing towards undermining social and economic development, particularly under a changing climate. Through this proposal, the Government of Sierra Leone (GoSL) is seeking funding from the Least Developed Countries Fund (LDCF) to implement a Full-Size Project (FSP) along the coastal zone, in six different pilot sites (Conakry Dee, Lakka, Hamilton, Tombo, Shenge and Turtle Island). The objective of this project, implemented by UNDP in collaboration with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA SL), the Ministry of Fisheries and Marine Resources (MFMR) and the Institute of Marine Biology and Oceanography (USL-IMBO and the National Tourist Board (NTB) is designed to “Strengthen the ability of coastal communities to systematically manage climate change risks and impacts on physical infrastructure and economic livelihoods”. The project focuses on five of the national priorities presented in Sierra Leone's National Adaptation Programme of Action (NAPA) submitted to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), namely priorities interventions nº 2, 4, 14, 16 and 17.Barriers need to be overcome in order to achieve the project objective. These include: (i) the limited accessibility and use of data and information relevant to understanding coastal related climate risks, (ii) inadequate institutional and policy capacities for Integrated Coastal Zone Management (ICZM), (iii) limited awareness programmes on coastal related climate risk and human activities along the coast; (iv) Inadequate resources and financial constraints and (v) the need to introduce climate resilient livelihood options and approaches to address the climate risk facing coastal communities. The project's approach to be adopted will deliver three complimentary outcomes to address these barriers in a coherent and holistic manner. It shall also contribute to the improvement of Sierra Leone's ability to systematically manage coastal risks in the face of a changing climate. The activities under Outcome 1 focus on enhancing the availability of high-quality climate risk information that is critical for development decision-making in the coastal zone. Under Outcome 2, a series of appropriate protection measures shall be designed along with supporting policy/legal tools and integrated coordination mechanisms to improve or support the implementation of policy to help deal with current and long-term coastal challenges;Finally, Outcome 3 will promote public awareness and promote climate resilient alternatives to sand mining for better adhesion of policy makers and communities on adaptation.

Objectives

Strengthen the ability of coastal communities to systematically manage climate change risks and impacts on physical infrastructure and economic livelihoods.

USD $10,175,000

Grant amount

USD $31,800,000

Leveraged amount (co-financing)

1

Source(s) of fund

Sources of fund

 

  • Least Developed Countries Fund ($10,175,000)

Implementing partner(s)

  • Government of Sierra Leone

Project metrics

Related resources

Geospatial information

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Project reports and documentation