Washington — The World Bank today approved an additional grant of $18.34 million to support Sierra Leone in enhancing biodiversity protection, environmental sustainability, and climate change resilience. This funding, provided through the Least Developed Countries Fund (LDCF) under the Global Environment Facility (GEF), will scale up ongoing activities under Phase 2 of the West Africa Food System Resilience Program (FSRP), focusing on Nature-Based Solutions (NBS).
The financing will support integrated landscape management (ILM), biodiversity conservation, and climate-sensitive interventions, with targeted investments in research, innovation, and community capacity building to improve food security and protect vulnerable landscapes. The grant will also fund capacity-building activities to encourage the adoption of NBS and climate-smart agricultural practices, as well as community-level ILM interventions.
“Climate change poses a severe risk to food security and livelihoods, especially in rural areas where most people live,” said Abdu Muwonge, World Bank Group Country Manager for Sierra Leone. “This additional financing will help Sierra Leone further strengthen its ability to adapt to these challenges, promoting more sustainable agricultural practices and a more resilient food system. The grant reflects the ongoing partnership between the World Bank and the Government of Sierra Leone in addressing critical development challenges and fostering a more secure and prosperous future for its citizens.”
Keep up with the latest headlines on WhatsApp | LinkedIn
The parent FSRP project was launched in 2022 with a total Multiphase Programmatic Approach (MPA) envelope of $1.17 billion to address food insecurity and enhance food system resilience across West Africa. The program benefits eight countries–Burkina Faso, Chad, Ghana, Mali, Niger, Senegal, Sierra Leone, and Togo–as well as regional organizations including the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), the Permanent Interstate Committee for Drought Control in the Sahel (CILSS), and the West and Central African Council for Agricultural Research (CORAF). With this additional grant, total FSRP financing for Sierra Leone now stands at $153.34 million.
“This grant will accelerate Sierra Leone’s transition to a sustainable agri-food system by supporting activities that advance climate change mitigation and adaptation objectives, such as restoring degraded landscapes and modifying agricultural production techniques to reduce greenhouse gas emissions,” said Adetunji Oredipe, World Bank Senior Agriculture Economist and Task Team Leader. “The additional resources will enable the project to reach more beneficiaries and ultimately contribute to a stronger and more resilient food sector for the nation.”
Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters
Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox
The new financing is part of a partially blended IDA-GEF project, to be led by the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change, in partnership with the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security and other government agencies involved in watershed management. The initiative aligns with Sierra Leone’s national climate priorities, including the 2021 Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) and the National Adaptation Plan (NAP).