EPA Steps Up Coastal Resilience Drive in Pujehun

The Environment Protection Agency (EPA) has engaged representatives of government ministries, departments and agencies in Pujehun District to strengthen collaboration and coordination in implementing the Sierra Leone Coastal Resilience Project (SLCRP).

The engagement, held at the Pujehun District Council Mini Hall, is part of efforts to strengthen the capacity of coastal communities and institutions to respond to climate-change impacts, including coastal erosion, sea-level rise, extreme weather events and environmental degradation.

EPA’s Project Monitoring and Evaluation Officer, Ahmed Tejan Foray, said the SLCRP is being implemented in five coastal districts—Kambia, Port Loko, Moyamba, Bonthe and Pujehun. He explained that the project is led by the Government of Sierra Leone through the EPA, in partnership with Save the Children and other implementing organisations, with funding from the Green Climate Fund and other development partners.

Foray stressed the importance of government institutions working together to integrate climate-change adaptation into development planning and service delivery.

EPA’s Social and Gender Specialist, Mohamed Kpekendu Mansaray, said the project adopts an integrated approach covering community governance, climate-smart agriculture and fishing, ecosystem conservation and restoration, climate education, disaster preparedness, and improved water, sanitation and hygiene infrastructure. He added that the project also seeks to restore and sustainably manage mangrove ecosystems as natural protection against coastal hazards.

Mansaray said EPA plays a key role in coordinating government stakeholders and providing technical guidance on climate governance, environmental protection and ecosystem restoration. He noted that Pujehun is among the project’s priority districts due to the vulnerability of its coastal communities and ecosystems to climate-related risks.

The wider SLCRP is expected to directly benefit approximately 260,000 people and indirectly reach an additional one million people across the target areas.

Meanwhile, Florence Sandy, Assistant Director at the Ministry of Gender and Children’s Affairs in Pujehun, thanked the EPA for the engagement and called on stakeholders to take ownership of the project, strengthen coordination and ensure the meaningful participation of women, children and young people in building climate-resilient communities.

The engagement marks another step towards strengthening multi-sectoral collaboration in Pujehun, with the project seeking to protect the environment, safeguard livelihoods and build resilience against the growing impacts of climate change.