World Bank Approves Additional Grant for Sierra Leone's Biodiversity Protection and Climate Change Resilience

Strategic Insights -

The World Bank has approved an additional grant of $18.34 million to support Sierra Leone in enhancing biodiversity protection, environmental sustainability, and climate change resilience. This funding will scale up activities under Phase 2 of the West Africa Food System Resilience Program (FSRP), focusing on Nature-Based Solutions (NBS). The grant will support integrated landscape management (ILM), biodiversity conservation, and climate-sensitive interventions, with targeted investments in research, innovation, and community capacity building.

Key Takeaways:

  • The grant of $18.34 million will support Sierra Leone in enhancing biodiversity protection, environmental sustainability, and climate change resilience.
  • The funding will scale up activities under Phase 2 of the West Africa Food System Resilience Program (FSRP), focusing on Nature-Based Solutions (NBS).
  • The grant will support integrated landscape management (ILM), biodiversity conservation, and climate-sensitive interventions.
  • The project will benefit from a partnership between the World Bank and the Government of Sierra Leone to address critical development challenges and foster a more secure and prosperous future for its citizens.
  • The project aligns with Sierra Leone's national climate priorities, including the 2021 Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) and the National Adaptation Plan (NAP).
  • The FSRP project was launched in 2022 with a total Multiphase Programmatic Approach (MPA) envelope of $1.17 billion.
  • 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).
  • Targeted investments will be made in research, innovation, and community capacity building to improve food security and protect vulnerable landscapes.
  • Community-level ILM interventions and capacity-building activities will be funded to encourage the adoption of NBS and climate-smart agricultural practices.

Statistics:

  • $18.34 million: The additional grant approved by the World Bank to support Sierra Leone's biodiversity protection and climate change resilience.
  • $1.17 billion: The total Multiphase Programmatic Approach (MPA) envelope for the West Africa Food System Resilience Program (FSRP) project launched in 2022.
  • $153.34 million: Total FSRP financing for Sierra Leone after the additional grant.
  • 2022: The year the FSRP project was launched.
  • 2021: The year Sierra Leone's Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) and National Adaptation Plan (NAP) were published.

Sources:

  • World Bank
  • Global Environment Facility (GEF)
  • Least Developed Countries Fund (LDCF)
  • Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS)
  • Permanent Interstate Committee for Drought Control in the Sahel (CILSS)
  • West and Central African Council for Agricultural Research (CORAF)
  • Ministry of Environment and Climate Change (Sierra Leone)
  • Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security (Sierra Leone)