Freetown- On 27th September 2022, stakeholders from the Migration, Environment, and Disaster Risk Reduction sector in Sierra Leone gathered to review the draft assessment report on the Integration of Human Mobility in Climate Change Adaptation and Disaster Risk reduction in the country.

The International Organization for Migration (IOM) is piloting a Disaster Risk Reduction and Climate Change Adaptation Integrated Human Mobility Assessment Tool in Sierra Leone, supported under IOM’s regional project, “Implementing Global Policies on Environmental Migration and Disaster Displacement in West Africa” with support from the Government of France. By piloting this tool, IOM aims to assess and strengthen the capacity of the Government of Sierra Leone relevant to environmental migration and disaster displacement and refine the tool through dialogue.

Recently, a series of interviews were conducted with relevant stakeholders across government ministries, departments, agencies, local authorities, and UN agencies, active in the fields of human mobility, environment, climate change, and disaster risk reduction \ in Sierra Leone. At the workshop, preliminary findings of the assessment were presented to stakeholders for technical review.

Speaking at the event, Christos Christodoulides, Head of Office a.i., at IOM Sierra Leone said, “ Sierra Leone, just like many nations, is no stranger to the extreme climatic events and disasters impacting its population all year round and specifically during the rainy season. Streamlining policies and structures including the allocation of resources into capacity building in the context of disaster risk reduction and climate change adaptation will help in addressing some of the challenges faced with regard to human mobility in the context of extreme climate events both at the national and local level”.

“Today’s input from stakeholders will serve as a basis to guide in the refining of the “Disaster Risk Reduction and Climate Change Adaptation Integrated Human Mobility Assessment” Christos added.

Alfred Tejan Jondie who represented the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) stated that even though not taking place at a large scale, displacement or migration is happening in Sierra Leone in the context of the effects of climate change. He also cited Plantain Island and Yealiboya Island as examples of communities directly threatened by environmental degradation.

“The assessment that is being done by the IOM is an eye opener to issues relating to climate change and environmental migration in the country” Mr. Jondie commented.

For more information, please contact Alfred Fornah, Communications and Public Relations Assistant at IOM Sierra Leone, email: afornah@iom.int.