Targets & Initiatives for Environmental Management
“Transform Freetown is ambitious, but its participatory, interdisciplinary and multi-stakeholder nature promises to contribute to a more liveable and productive city. SLURC is one of the lead stakeholders for the Environmental Management Initiatives. We hope, through the City Learning Platform, to be able to provide the space to facilitate coordination and knowledge sharing across different stakeholders involved in activities aimed to improve the quality of life of those living in precarious informal settlements in Freetown.” Braima Koroma, Director of Research and Training, Sierra Leone Urban Research Centre
Target 1
Increase the capacity of Freetown’s 48 wards to recognise risk and identify resilient solutions to prevent and recover from disasters
Initiative 1
Lead
Description
Empower communities and scale-up existing community-based disaster resilience efforts by
- Involving key stakeholders, from councilors to community based organizations
- Strengthening relevant community governance structures
- Mapping communities and needs and collaborating to pool resources and coordinate
- Enabling communities to do/update planning and implement specific solution, e.g., clear and maintain channels, tackle unpaved roads, increase tree coverage)
Initiative 2
Lead
Description
Better anchor environmental awareness and conductive mindsets/culture in the education system by
- Involving key stakeholders, incl. FCC, Ministry of Basic & Secondary Education, EPA, ONS, NPAA, CSO, UNDP, UNICEF, Ministry of Lands, CMC, FEDURP
- Compiling list of schools and education institutions including their level of resources
- Engage school staff and develop programmes to increase awareness
- Build network of volunteers & nature clubs
- Starting with a pilot, build a network of volunteers and nature clubs in schools
- Share best practices
Initiative 3
Lead
Description
Increase vegetation coverage across Freetown by 50%, by
- Conducting baseline analysis to establish current tree and other vegetation coverage
- Engaging key stakeholders, including relevant communities and residents
- Conducting feasibility study into planting options
- Identifying level of resource required and develop a delivery plan
- Producing a special plan for planting of new vegetation
- Establishing systems in place to ensure sustainability, incl. adequate maintenance and regular monitoring
Target 2
Ensure effective multi-stakeholder coordination mechanism is established and strengthen environmental governance
Initiative 1
Lead
Description
Establishment of a high-level platform for all key stakeholders with clear TOR and leadership by
- Involving key stakeholders, ensuring that decision-makers authorized to approve projects participate from each stakeholder
- Developing a clear concept document which demonstrates the value of participation to potential stakeholders & an accompanying communications strategy
- Developing a clear TOR for the platform including professional administrative arrangements and identifying the platform’s core areas of focus, namely disaster management, air quality, erosion, deforestation & education
Initiative 2
Lead
Description
Review, harmonise and formulate environmental laws and enforcement at local level by
- Reviewing existing legal/regulatory framework in order to identify what is covered, where there are gaps in the law or enforcement, capturing and/or adapting national laws to work at local level, and what new laws are required
- Reviewing existing enforcement processes in order to identify what works & what doesn’t
- Developing new or amended laws/regulations
- Developing partnerships with enforcement entities in implementing new practices to ensure effective enforcement
“l am honoured and privileged to have fully participated in the Environmental Management working group on the development of Transform Freetown. It has the potential to significantly improve the well-being of Freetonians and visitors. I commend Her Worship the Mayor for bringing together all relevant stakeholders. Together we can Transform Freetown.”
Haja Kaday Sesay, Executive Director, CEFCON-SL