Chapter 5 Priority Adaptation Actions

5.1 Introduction

This chapter presents the primary government stakeholders and adaptation priorities programs for Sierra Leone’s initial NAP. The Government of Sierra Leone has defined the following priority sectors for its NAP:

Agriculture and food security
Water resources and energy
Coastal zone management (including fisheries, coastal ecosystems etc.)
Environment (including tourism, land, mineral resources, forestry, etc.)
Disaster management
Cross-cutting priority: Hard and Soft Infrastructure (including water and sanitation, transportation, health etc.)
Cross-cutting priority: Gender Equality and Social Inclusion (focusing on youth, women, elderly, persons with disabilities)

This chapter includes an analysis and compilation of existing adaptation priorities that are within these defined sectors. The following plans were analyzed and included in the priority programs that are included in this chapter:

Initial National Communications (INC)
Second National Communications (2NC)
Third National Communications (3NC)
Nationally Determined Contributions (NDC)
National Adaptation Programmes of Action (NAPA)
Coastal Climate Change Adaptation Plan (CCCAP)
Low-Carbon Climate-Resilient Development Strategy (LCCRDS)
National Climate Change Strategy and Action Plan (NCCSAP).
Medium-term National Development Plan (MTNDP)
National Framework for Climate Services (NFCS)
Integrated Coastal Zone Management Plan (ICZMP)
Offgrid Solar Energy Strategy (OGSES)

These priorities were validated at the initial NAP stakeholder consultation workshop conducted in Freetown in October 2020. Within these sectors, the priorities that are supportive and linked have been classified into programs of adaptation. This is just a first step in this process. After additional consultations and vulnerability and risk assessments, these priorities will be developed further or modified to meet current and future needs.

5.2 Key Government Stakeholders By Priority

Agriculture and Food Security	Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, SLMet, Planning Evaluation, Monitoring, Statistical Division (PEMSD), Environment Protection Agency, Municipality and District Councils
Water Resources and Energy	Ministry of Water Resources, National Water Resources Management Agency (Hydrological Services Department), Environment Protection Agency (Chemical Controls and Management Department), Renewable Energy Association of Sierra Leone, Ministry of Energy, Municipality and District Councils
Coastal Zone Management	Ministry of Fisheries and Marine Resources, Environment Protection Agency (Natural Resources Management Department) Coastal Chiefs Natural Resources Management Network, Sherbro River Estuary Co-management Committee, Community Management Associations, Municipality and District Councils, National Protected Area Authority
Environment	Ministry of the Environment, Environment Protection Agency, Ministry of Tourism and Cultural Affairs, National Protected Area Authority, National Tourist Board, Ministry of Lands and Country Planning, Municipality and District Councils
Disaster Management	Office of National Security (Disaster Management Department, Sierra Leone Meteorological Agency, National Fire Force, Sierra Leone Red Cross, Volunteer Services Oversea, Sierra Leone Civil Aviation Authority, Community Disaster Management Committees, Environment Protection Agency (Climate Change Secretariat), Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development, Municipality and District Councils
Cross-cutting: Gender Equality and Social Inclusion	Ministry of Social Welfare, Gender and Children’s Affairs, National Children’s Commission, Human Rights Commission, Municipality and District Councils
Cross-cutting: Hard and Soft Infrastructure (Health, Water and Sanitation, transportation)	Ministry of Health and Sanitation, Ministry of Transport and Aviation, Environment Protection Agency, Ministry of the Environment, Sierra Leone Meteorological Agency, Ministry of Information and Communication, Sierra Leone Road Safety Authority, Sierra Leone Roads Authority, Sierra Leone Motor Drivers Union, Municipality and District Councils, Road Maintenance Fund Administration

5.3 Priority Adaptation Programs

The priority adaptation programs have been divided by sector and included in table 6.3 below. The adaptation programs each have been classified according to five categories. The categories are described below:

Physical investments: These are priorities which involve building or construction.
Human capacity development: These are priorities that involve training or capacity development for individuals both within the government and among non-government stakeholders (e.g. private sector, NGOs, CSOs etc.).
Institutional strengthening: This refers to priorities that involve improving institutional capacity and other aspects of governance.
Regulatory modifications: This category refers to priorities that involve modification or enhancement of sectoral and/or subnational policy, regulatory, or legal frameworks.
Research: This identifies priorities that involve enhancing available data and information as well as the associated capacities to produce, process, and utilize data and information.

5.4 Priority Actions by Sector, Program and Type

I. Agriculture and food security	Source	Physical Investment	Human Capacity Development	Institutional Strengthening	Regulatory Modifications	Research	Lead Agency
Program 1: Promote climate-smart agriculture and climate-resilient food security practices
Adoption and application of climate-smart and conservation agriculture through best agricultural practices that enhance soil fertility and improve crop yield	NDC		●				Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry
Integrated management of crops and livestock management	NDC	●					Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry
Develop and maintain seed banks to provide a variety of seed types that preserve biological diversity and enable farmers to make informed choices	NCCSAP	●					Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry
Promote innovative and adaptive approaches such as irrigation and water harvesting to protect farmers from variability in rainfall	NDC	●					Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry
Provide appropriate infrastructure, social services and mechanization of agriculture in the rural areas to slowdown massive movements of youths into urban areas	3NC	●	●	●			Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry
Mainstream Climate Change into Agricultural Development Strategies	3NC			●	●		Environment Protection Agency
Program 2: Improve research and knowledge management capacities to Support Climate-Smart Agriculture and resilient land management	Source	Physical Investment	Human Capacity Development	Institutional Strengthening	Regulatory Modifications	Research	Lead Agency
Support the establishment of adequate weather stations around the country in order to provide reliable and adequate weather data that will be useful to properly inform farmers	NCCSAP/3NC	●		●			Sierra Leone Meteorological Agency
Provide adequate support to the Sierra Leone Agricultural Research Institute as well as Njala University to develop appropriate crop varieties and production practices that will enhance resilience to adverse weather conditions	NCCSAP/3NC			●		●	Sierra Leone Agricultural Research Institute
Promote innovative and adaptive approaches such as irrigation and water harvesting, to protect farmers from variability in rainfall	NCCSAP/3NC	●				●	Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry
Develop modelling approaches and tools to allow assessment of impacts of climate change on export and domestic crops and meat production	NCCSAP/3NC					●	Environment Protection Agency
Develop regional links to fund and promote plant breeding programs for common crops	NCCSAP/3NC		●	●			Sierra Leone Agricultural Research Institute
Review approaches to integrated pest management under climate change	NCCSAP/2NC					●	Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry
Conduct a feasibility study to gather information on community perceptions of climate-smart agriculture techniques	CCCAP					●	Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry
II. Water Resources and Energy	Source	Physical Investment	Human Capacity Development	Institutional Strengthening	Regulatory Modifications	Research	Lead Agency
Program 1: Improve institutional and functional capacities for integrated water management
Improve planning and coordination of the use of the river basin, which may provide solutions to problems of water quality and supply	NCCSAP/INC		●	●			National Water Resources Management Agency
Increase and maintain investment in hydrological monitoring and water use through a national database	NCCSAP/2NC	●		●			National Water Resources Management Agency
Fund research into adopting a water resources and water supply planning method under climate change	NCCSAP					●	Ministry of Water Resources
Develop appropriate modelling tools to assist strategic planning of water resources	NCCSAP/3NC			●		●	National Water Resources Management Agency
Investigate shifting focus from ground water to surface water storage for water supply to reduce the reliance on vulnerable coastal aquifers	NCCSAP/3NC			●		●	National Water Resources Management Agency
Program 2: Enhance universal access to energy by promoting renewables and energy efficiency	Source	Physical Investment	Human Capacity Development	Institutional Strengthening	Regulatory Modifications	Research	Lead Agency
Establish and operationalize a National Centre for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency (NaCREEE) to promote off-grid Stand-alone Solar (SAS) investments through technical advice and knowledge sharing in the areas of policy and regulation, technology development and transfer, and public education	OGSES			●			Ministry of Energy
Increase awareness of off-grid SAS and strengthen market knowledge by improving market intelligence	OGSES		●	●			Ministry of Energy
Strengthen local institutions and empower the private sector through capacity, network, and partnership building	OGSES		●	●			Ministry of Energy
Provide up-to-date market information through further studies and awareness raising campaigns	OGSES		●				Ministry of Energy
Align technology development and knowledge transfer goals with regional goals set for 2030	OGSES			●	●		Ministry of Energy
Technically support the Energy Planning Unit in creating a pipeline of off-grid SAS projects	OGSES		●	●			Ministry of Energy
Introduce solar technology management in school curricula and technical and vocational education at the tertiary level	OGSES		●				Ministry of Technical and Higher Education
Develop guidelines for the standardization of off-grid solar systems including technical equipment, design and assessment methods, operations and maintenance procedures, and environmental compliance	OGSES				●	●	Standards Bureau
Mobilize financial institutions to create investment packages and counterpart funding	OGSES				●		Renewable Energy Association of Sierra Leone
Program 3: Mainstream considerations of Gender Equality and Social Inclusion into sectoral plans and strategies	Source	Physical Investment	Human Capacity Development	Institutional Strengthening	Regulatory Modifications	Research	Lead Agency
Expand women’s and youth employment opportunities and participation in the management of off-grid solar energy interventions	OGSES		●				Ministry of Energy/Ministry of Gender
Build women-led partnerships at the local level to facilitate knowledge exchange, resource mobilization, and sustained quality of services	OGSES		●				Ministry of Energy/Ministry of Gender
Bridge the gap in the proportion of women to men employment as solar technicians, engineers, and project managers by promoting the entry of more women into jobs delivered within the sector through information, communication, education campaigns, scholarships, and job placements	OGSES		●				Ministry of Energy/Ministry of Gender
Build the capacities of youth, women, PWDs, and other disadvantaged groups in using off-grid solar energy resources safely and productively (including for livelihood and business development or improvement)	OGSES		●				Ministry of Energy/ Ministry of Gender/Ministry of Youth Affairs/
III. Infrastructure (including WASH, transportation, and urban development)	Source	Physical Investment	Human Capacity Development	Institutional Strengthening	Regulatory Modifications	Research	Lead Agency
Program 1: Improve climate change adaptation infrastructure across priority sectors
Enhance waste management systems at all levels to reduce pollution and greenhouse gas emissions so as to improve health of both humans and animals and reduce climate change	NDC	●		●	●		Municipal Councils/ Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development
Support the construction of appropriate roads particularly feeder roads in the rural areas as a climate resilience strategy	NCCSAP	●					Sierra Leone Roads Authority/ Road Maintenance Fund Administration
Diversify economic growth through a strengthened transport sector, particularly the infrastructure to contribute to the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions	LCCRDS	●		●			Ministry of Transport and Aviation
Program 2: Mainstream climate change adaptation considerations into sectoral plans and strategies	Source	Physical Investment	Human Capacity Development	Institutional Strengthening	Regulatory Modifications	Research	Lead Agency
Strengthen integration of climate change adaptation into the health sector	NDC		●	●	●		Ministry of Health and Sanitation
Monitor and control WASH activities in informal settlements	NAPA	●	●	●			Ministry of Health and Sanitation
Program 3: Develop local institutional capacity to support coastal resources management	Source	Physical Investment	Human Capacity Development	Institutional Strengthening	Regulatory Modifications	Research	Lead Agency
Monitor academic and public news media to keep informed about changes in climate change science and adaptation tools, technologies, and success stories	CCCAP		●	●			Ministry of Fisheries and Marine Resources
Operationalize a Coastal Chiefdoms Natural Resources Management Network (CCNRMN) and various co-management committees	CCCAP			●			Ministry of Fisheries and Marine Resources Sanitation
Support the development, validation and enforcement of by-laws on mangrove wood harvesting, fishing and sand mining, at local and regional levels to promote mangrove conservation and adaptation to climate change	CCCAP				●		Coastal Chiefdoms Natural Resources Management Network
Collect physical and socioeconomic data to better understand vulnerabilities and impacts	CCCAP		●			●	National Protected Area Authority/ Institute of Marine Biology and Oceanography
Train relevant coastal institutions on climate change adaptation and mangrove conservation	CCCAP		●	●			National Protected Area Authority
IV. Coastal Zone Management (including Fisheries, Marine Resources, and Coastal Ecosystems)	Source	Physical Investment	Human Capacity Development	Institutional Strengthening	Regulatory Modifications	Research	Lead Agency
Program 1: Management of coastal and fisheries resources
Promotion of non-destructive fishing techniques to maintain resilience of marine ecosystems	NDC		●	●	●		Ministry of Fisheries and Marine Resources
Promotion of monitoring, control and surveillance of fishing grounds and fish stocks for sustainable exploitation	NCCSAP		●	●			Ministry of Fisheries and Marine Resources
Promotion of climate change related education and awareness programs	NCCSAP		●				Ministry of Fisheries and Marine Resources
Improve productivity and sustainable management of fisheries and the marine sector	MTNDP		●	●	●		Ministry of Fisheries and Marine Resources
Develop and operationalize an integrated coastal zone management plan	NAPA			●	●		Environment Protection Agency
Adopt an adaptive management approach for the governance of coastal management institutions and interventions	ICZMP		●	●			Ministry of Fisheries and Marine Resources
Improve fisheries governance through awareness raising and law enforcement to regulate fishing practices	CCCAP		●	●	●		Ministry of Fisheries and Marine Resources
Mainstream climate change adaptation into coastal development plans, thus using local development funds managed by councils to build resilience	CCCAP		●	●	●		Coastal District Councils
Program 2: Increase human (social) development through technology transfer and livelihood support	Source	Physical Investment	Human Capacity Development	Institutional Strengthening	Regulatory Modifications	Research	Lead Agency
Strengthen the adaptive capacity of the most vulnerable groups and communities through social safety nets and insurance schemes	NDC		●	●	●		Coastal Chiefdoms Natural Resources Management Network
Undertake research to assess local uptake potential of livelihood techniques and technologies	CCCAP					●	Ministry of Fisheries and Marine Resources
Promote agri-sylvicultural practices and sustainable rice cultivation in coastal landscapes	CCCAP		●				Ministry of Fisheries and Marine Resources
Program 3: Provide information and improve knowledge on climate risks and vulnerabilities	Source	Physical Investment	Human Capacity Development	Institutional Strengthening	Regulatory Modifications	Research	Lead Agency
Delineate hazard (flood and erosion prone) areas along the coastline	NCCSAP					●	Ministry of Fisheries and Marine Resources
Improve the quality of topographic data for the coastal zone	NCCSAP					●	Ministry of Fisheries and Marine Resources
Establish robust and long-term mangrove ecosystem health surveillance, monitoring and analysis to develop insights into their current state and map future risks and vulnerabilities	CCCAP		●	●	●	●	Ministry of Fisheries and Marine Resources
V. Environment (including forestry, mining, tourism, and land management)	Source	Physical Investment	Human Capacity Development	Institutional Strengthening	Regulatory Modifications	Research	Lead Agency
Program 1: Improve Natural Resources Management in critical biodiversity hotspots
Manage rangelands and pastures by managing grazing systems and grazing intensity, fire management and pasture rehabilitation	NDC		●	●	●		Ministry of the Environment
Restore degraded lands with high production potential	NDC	●					Ministry of the Environment
Establish new forest reserves, national parks, and protected areas	NAPA	●		●	●		National Protected Area Authority
Program 2: Improve the resilience of environmental value chains across the sector	Source	Physical Investment	Human Capacity Development	Institutional Strengthening	Regulatory Modifications	Research	Lead Agency
Enhance the resilience of the tourism value chain	NDC		●	●			Ministry of Tourism and Culture/National Tourist Board
Program 3: Mainstream climate change adaptation considerations into sectoral plans and strategies	Source	Physical Investment	Human Capacity Development	Institutional Strengthening	Regulatory Modifications	Research	Lead Agency
Integrate climate change adaptation into the mining/extractive sector	NDC		●	●	●		Environmental Protection Agency
Mainstream climate change adaptation into land reforms (including establishment of a land commission and revision of the land policy)	NDC		●	●	●		Environmental Protection Agency
Program 4: Improve institutional and functional capacities for environmental governance	Source	Physical Investment	Human Capacity Development	Institutional Strengthening	Regulatory Modifications	Research	Lead Agency
Review the current Draft Climate Policy into a comprehensive Climate Act	NDC				●		Environment Protection Agency
Establish the enabling legislative framework to implement the NCCS&AP actions	NDC				●		Environment Protection Agency
Establish and/or strengthen the high-level National Climate Change Council (NCCC), in the Office of the President	NDC			●	●		Ministry of the Environment
Establish a Sierra Leone Climate Fund to be a financing mechanism for priority climate change actions and interventions	NDC			●	●		Ministry of the Environment
Institutionalize coordination, monitoring, reporting and verification of climate change issues by strengthening the Environment Protection Agency for effective and efficient provision of technical policy advice to the Government and people of Sierra Leone	LCCRDS		●	●	●		Environment Protection Agency
VI. Disaster Management	Source	Physical Investment	Human Capacity Development	Institutional Strengthening	Regulatory Modifications	Research	Lead Agency
Program 1: Establish early warning systems to improve local understanding of risks
Promotion and facilitation of early warning and disaster preparedness system	NDC	●					Disaster Management Agency, Sierra Leone Meteorological Agency
Transformation of the National Meteorological Services of Sierra Leone	NDC		●	●	●		Sierra Leone Meteorological Agency
Build capacity in observations and monitoring of climate systems, and in developing, packaging and communicating weather and climate information	NFCS		●	●			Sierra Leone Meteorological Agency
Develop deeper insight into climate-related hazards, vulnerability and risks	NFCS					●	Sierra Leone Meteorological Agency
Promote climate related research, modelling and prediction of weather and climate events.	NFCS			●		●	Sierra Leone Meteorological Agency
Program 2: Improve regulatory frameworks for disaster management	Source	Physical Investment	Human Capacity Development	Institutional Strengthening	Regulatory Modifications	Research	Lead Agency
Adopt the current disaster risk reduction policy into a comprehensive Disaster Management and Emergency Response Policy	NDC				●		Office of National Security
Establish the enabling legislative framework to implement the DMD policy and action plan	NDC				●		Office of National Security
Establish and/or strengthen the high-level National DMD Council (NDMC), in the Office of the Vice President	NDC			●			Office of National Security
Establish a National DM Agency as the primary national government agency for disaster management response	NDC			●			Office of National Security

5.5 Sector Needs and Opportunities

Drawing on information collected from the inception workshop and consultations (including the SWOT analysis in Annex 1), there are clear needs for across the national government to be able to fulfill these priority programs:

All priority sectors require:

Legislation to integrate adaptation into sector policy, work plans and projects, monitoring and evaluation
Clarification of mandates related to climate change adaptation
Increased enforcement of existing laws and regulations
Integrated planning for adaptation across sectors and across national and local government
Need for technical working group and focal points to improve coordination, collaboration and information exchange across sectors
Capacity building at the national and local level, especially for women and other marginalized groups
Increased incentives for private sector engagement on adaptation
Increased number of staff and staff capacity
Improved access to information across within and across sectors
Increased funding for adaptation work