NAP - GSP SNAP SHOT PRESENTATION ON NATIONAL ADAPTATION PLAN ON CLIMATE CHANGE IN SIERRA LEONE. SIERRA LEONE 15 TH April, 2014

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1 NAP - GSP SNAP SHOT PRESENTATION ON NATIONAL ADAPTATION PLAN ON CLIMATE CHANGE IN SIERRA LEONE SIERRA LEONE 15 TH April, 2014

2 Overview of Climate Change Adaptation in Sierra Leone Sierra Leone economy depends heavily on its natural resources. Agriculture is the largest economic sector, contributing to more than 45% of GDP and employing over 70% of the labor force. Due to unsustainable use of the natural resources basis and as a result of the civil war, the environment of Sierra Leone has been severely degraded due to deforestation through slash and burn agriculture, mining, illegal logging, charcoal burning and fuel wood collection and unauthorized development resulting to biodiversity loss, habitat destruction & fragmentation, fresh water pollution and coastal erosion. The impacts of climate change in Sierra Leone are already visible which is threatened by climatic hazards such as altered rainfall patterns, deforestation, seasonal droughts, landslides, heat waves etc.

3 Climate Change Adaptation Continues In Sierra Leone, the national adaptation program of action (NAPA) on climate change adaptation is in the process of being developed. The objective is to mainstream climate change adaptation into the 8 pillars of the Agenda for Prosperity. The focus is in two key areas; 1. Community based adaptation, which is geared towards poverty alleviation and social strengthening. 2. Disaster management, which looks at four issues and operates more at national scales. (I) Disaster risk deduction. (II) Disaster risk absorption. (III) Disaster risk avoidance. and (IV) Disaster risk containment. The general tools used for climate change adaptation in Sierra Leone includes (I) Action research. (II) Training and capacity building. (III) Advocacy and policy influencing (social marketing). (IV) Resilience building (v) Early warning systems

4 Our Entry Point The government of Sierra Leone has established a number of MDA s such as: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA-SL) Disaster Management Department (ONS) Meteorological Department (MTA) Ministry of Water Resource MAFFS The NIE committee has been set up

5 Success and Experience on NAP (example) Example 1 Health - Community and ecosystem health improvement through a community based health initiative. It looks on how communities deal with malaria outbreaks by introducing specific fish species that feeds on mosquitoes larvae in river areas. The process is called biological modification. Tools/methods used Action research /livelihood diversification. Example 2 Sensitization and awareness raising campaigns on climate change impacts on women relating to the three conventions of biodiversity, desertification and UNFCCC. This project is supported by the EPA, UNDP and the EU which is ongoing. Tools/Method used Example 3 social marketing and policy advocacy. (Awareness raising and policy influencing for both mitigation and disaster management in coastline communities). Establishment of National Early Warning Systems (ongoing project by UNDP, GEF, and MAFFS) Tools/Method used training and capacity building

6 Examples 1. Capacity building 2. sustainable financing. Challenges 3. little room for community based experimentation. 4. poor linkage with community and national level mechanisms. 5. overlap in climate change messaging

7 Expectations from Training Workshop Expectation 1 To draw from lessons leant from other countries Expectation 2 To understand the various approaches to climate change adaptation especially for poverty alleviation and food security Expectation 3 To identify ways of presenting an integrated climate change adaptation and disaster management programme in Sierra Leone.

8 THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION