ONGOING

CITIZEN DRIVEN CLIMATE SENSITIVE WASH MANAGEMENT PROJECT

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The project is funded and supported by Engineers without Borders-DK

Project Fact Sheet
Donor:

Engineers without Borders-Denmark

Project Implementing Partner:

SEND Sierra Leone & World Hope International

Project Location:

Kenema District

Duration:

December 2021 - May 2024

Project Budget:

Le 2,194,153,833,33

Project Thematic Areas:

WASH and CLIMATE RESILIENCE

Contact details and contact

Joseph Ayamga,

Country Director

SEND Sierra Leone

ayamga@sendseirraleone.com

+23 278 206 853

PROJECT CHALLENGES

Sierra Leone is ranked as the third most vulnerable country in relation to the adverse effects of climate change due to a high level of multi-dimensional fragility. In 2018, after a Country Policy and Institutional Assessment (CPIA), Sierra Leone recorded a low score of 3.1 which indicated a 0.1 decline from the previous year. This fragility represents a high infrastructure debt stock, weak governance institutions, low human capacity and high youth unemployment estimated to be 70% among other factors. The Government and decentralized governance structure are aware of the fragility pressures but lack the capacity to adequately address these challenges thereby exacerbating the effects over time.

TWith 56.8% of the Sierra Leonean population living in poverty, 12.9% of the population living under extreme poverty and the food poverty rate standing at 54.5%, Sierra Leone faces considerable challenges in been able to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 2030.The country ranks 182 out of 189 in the 2020 Global Human Development Index with a Human Development Index of 0.452 and life expectancy 54.7 years. The COVID-19 pandemic and its resultant lockdown effects has worsened the country’s economic recovery as it continues to suffer from the twin shocks of the 2014-2017 Ebola pandemic and the global commodity price slump.

TEven though water and sanitation are among the high priorities for the Government of Sierra Leone as stated in its National Development Plan 2019-2023, there has been very adoption of climate robust WASH. Changed weather patterns are recorded in 2017 to have resulted in an increasing number of wells being dry during parts of the year, a situation which has resulted in the increased incidence of outbreaks of cholera and water-borne diseases. Over a 17-year period access to water in rural communities has increased by 22% from 25% in 2000 to 47% in 2017, a statistic that needs to double in less than a decade to reach the SDG target of 100% in the year 2030.

There also a exists a poor culture in the maintenance of WASH facilities. According to statistics, it takes over a year for 28.9% of water system to be repaired and over a month for 60.5% of the water systems to be repaired. In rural communities where user fees the main source of revenue used to maintain water facilities; it was recorded that 89.4% of the population who have access to these water points do not pay for water.

In Kenema district, the incidence of extreme poverty affects 24.2% of the population, a statistic worsened by only 22% of the population having access to safe water mainly concentrated in the urban center of Kenema township. The district experiences excessive rainfall which destroys and/or leads to contamination of the scarce water sources, farmland and crops. The health risks induced by flooding, changed rain patterns, and insufficient WASH infrastructure puts additional pressures on the very fragile health system as water-borne disease and cholera outbreaks are annual recurrent incidents

PROJECT SOLUTION

The project seeks to improve livelihoods in Kenema district through improved water and sanitation in rural communities in the district. By encouraging and capacitating rural communities and district structures to participate in the adoption of climate adaptive responses, the project will address low institutional capacity from a bottom approach and directly impact the population in 50 communities. It will promote cross-sector partnerships by placing civil society as the principal agent of change working with WASH sector governance institutions and the private sector. The project will also improve the knowledge base, develop a shared platform for action from the local level and establish citizen-driven examples of best practices in making the livelihood of the population in the Kenema district more resilient.

THE PROJECT HAS OUTPUTS THAT ARE ESPOUSED FOR SUCCESS:

  • Access to climate robust WASH infrastructure in 50 rural communities .
  • Application of participatory and inclusive climate-robust WASH governance in the Kenema district
  • Kenema district serves as a catalyst for citizen-led rural climate adaptation in the WASH sector influencing national climate adaptation strategies.

    • A MULTI-STAKEHOLDER STRATEGY IS ADOPTED TO ACHIEVE OUTPUTS:

  • Mainstreaming of climate adaptation by increasing the knowledge base of all strategic actors from the community level through the HDCs and community WASH committees as well as at the district level through the KDWASHC.
  • Strategic service delivery through the rehabilitation of old and the construction of new climate robust WASH infrastructure.
  • Organisation and capacity building of civil society at the community level through HDCs to develop structures that will ensure effective management and planning of WASH facilities.
  • Strengthening of democratic and transparent WASH sector governance through capacity building, standardisation/quality control and introduction of new technology.
  • Regulatory framework for private sector engagement to ensure communities/buyers of WASH technology receive quality facilities at the appropriate cost.
  • IoT, Transparency and governance will ensure quality data is gathered from the communities on a daily basis to aid in planning and decision-making efforts at the district level.
  • Influencing national policymaking based on data from citizen-led climate adaptation.It is important to note that these strategies will interact seamlessly to develop a wholistic strategy which will influence future policy formulation at the district level within the framework of the National Adaptation Plan. This overall strategy will dedicate resources to strategic activities which will lead advocacy efforts on cross-sector partnerships and encourage the involvement of civil society in climate adaptation strategies and policies.

    • KEY ACTIVITIES

    Design and construction of WASH and other climate adaptation works in the communities

    HDC capacity building in climate-induced hazards - participatory assessment of risks and how to mitigate them

    Community meetings to sensitize on relation with private service providers. Definition at community level of accountability from private service provider to community with the HDC as managing party

    Workshops for key stakeholders to inform and discuss the scope and purpose of the baseline/assessment of climate hazards

    Development and pilot testing of training program service providers

    Training in online data management by Kenema District WASH management team

    District level radio campaigns has been launched to inform on the NAP and the District' initiative on climate sensitive WASH planning

    PROJECT OBJECTIVE

    Improved livelihood in Kenema district through cross-sector engagement in climate-sensitive WASH governance

    PROJECT LOCATION

    District
    Kenema
    COMMUNITY
    (to be determined)

    TARGET BENEFICIARIES

    #
    DESCRIPTION
    TARGET

    01

    WASH COMMITTEE MEMBERS

    350

    02

    RURAL COMMUNITIES

    50

    03

    WARD DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEES

    30

    04

    KDWASHC MEMBERS

    15

    05

    PRIVATE SECTOR FIRMS

    10

    06

    TEACHERS AND STUDENTS FROM ETU

    20

    ABOUT
    SEND SIERRA LEONE

    SEND Sierra Leone is non-governmental organization registered with the Ministry of Finance and Economic Development of the Republic of Sierra Leone with a vision to contribute to a Sierra Leone where people’s rights and well- being are guaranteed. SEND Sierra Leone is part of a West African structure with a headquarters in Ghana and offices in Liberia and Sierra Leone where approaches and experiences are shared. SEND Sierra Leone is an independent structure, a local NGO registered in Sierra Leone with a local Board, which has its own project portfolio and budget separate from Ghana.

    SEND’s portfolio includes community development, WaSH, health, nutrition/agriculture and women’s empowerment. Intervention areas are in the districts of Kailahun, Kenema, Kono, Western Areas Urban, and Rural districts and more recently, the district of Bonthe.

    View Project Factsheet