Discussion: Comparing Community-Based Adaptation in the Philippines and Sierra Leone.
Similar to the Philippines, Sierra Leone is highly vulnerable to climate-related natural hazards that are increasingly influenced by climate change. Common hazards in Sierra Leone include flooding, coastal erosion, sea-level rise, landslides, storm surges, and prolonged rainfall. Climate change has intensified the frequency and severity of these events, particularly through heavier rainfall patterns and rising sea levels, which mirror the typhoon-driven flooding and coastal impacts described in the Restoring Hope Through Mangroves case study from the Philippines.
The areas that face the greatest impacts in Sierra Leone are low lying coastal zones and rapidly urbanizing settlements. Coastal communities such as Bonthe Island, Shenge, Goderich, and parts of the Freetown Peninsula are severely affected by sea level rise and coastal erosion, while hillside and informal settlements in Freetown face recurrent flooding and landslides. These areas are highly exposed due to their geographical location, weak infrastructure, and environmental degradation, similar to the vulnerable coastal villages highlighted in the Philippine case study.
The communities most affected are coastal fishing communities, informal urban settlers, and low income rural populations. These groups depend heavily on natural resources for their livelihoods and often lack secure housing, savings, or access to early warning systems. In coastal areas, erosion and saltwater intrusion destroy homes, fishing infrastructure, and freshwater sources, undermining livelihoods and food security. This mirrors the situation in the Philippines, where coastal communities faced loss of protection and income following mangrove degradation.
Local communities in Sierra Leone employ several coping and adaptation strategies to manage these challenges. These include community led mangrove replanting, construction of makeshift flood barriers, relocation of homes further inland, diversification of livelihoods, and reliance on traditional knowledge to predict weather patterns. Mangrove restoration efforts, particularly in coastal districts such as Bonthe and Kambia, closely resemble the Philippine experience, where restoring mangroves helped reduce storm impacts while reviving livelihoods and ecosystem services.
Institutional support plays a critical role in strengthening community resilience in Sierra Leone. Government institutions such as the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change and the Environmental Protection Agency Sierra Leone support community based adaptation through policy guidance, coastal resilience projects, and climate awareness programs. Local and international non governmental organizations, including the Environmental Foundation for Africa, Save the Children, and the Sierra Leone Red Cross Society, support mangrove restoration, disaster risk reduction, and livelihood diversification, often with funding and technical assistance from external partners such as the Green Climate Fund, United Nations Development Programme, and World Bank.
In comparison to the Philippine case study, Sierra Leone demonstrates similar opportunities and challenges in community based adaptation. Both contexts highlight that restoring natural ecosystems like mangroves can reduce vulnerability, protect livelihoods, and strengthen community cohesion. The key lesson is that locally led, nature based solutions supported by strong institutions and external partnerships are essential for building long-term resilience to climate change impacts in vulnerable coastal communities.