Project Detail

Enhancing Sustainable Mangrove Ecosystem Management and Protection of Associated Biodiversity in Twenty 20 Villages across Two (2) Chiefdoms (Sittia & Bendu-Cha) in Bonthe District, Southern Sierra Leone

The proposed project is a community-driven action designed to ensure targeted communities play a central role in mangrove biodiversity conservation and management. The primary objective is to prevent the loss and destruction of the mangrove forest through the promotion of co-management involving local communities, district authorities (local council, chiefs and ward development committees), relevant line ministries (Agriculture & Marine Resources) and agencies operating in the proposed project location. The project seeks to empower local coastal communities in two (2) chiefdoms to take ownership and responsibility for the protection of the mangrove ecology to ensure it sustainably continues to provide long-term benefits, services and functions.

In order to achieve the planned objectives of the proposed project, key activities will focus on capacity development through community-level engagements and media campaigns with a strong emphasis on conservation of mangrove biodiversity and its benefits for coastal communities, biodiversity mainstreaming into policies, plans and activities of local council, relevant sectors and other district actors; development of alternative livelihood options(vegetable production, beekeeping & sustainable oyster harvest)for particularly women and youths; and establishment of community -level co-management structures to develop and ensure adherence to local regulations on mangrove protection; training in biodiversity conservation, national environmental policies and international treaties(RAMSAR Convention,Rio Convention etc); and facilitating natural regeneration of over-exploited mangrove areas

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Project Snapshot

Grantee:

Supporting Entrepreneurship and Economic Development

Country:

Sierra Leone

Area Of Work:

Biodiversity

Operational Phase:

OP7 - Y1 (Jul 20-Jun 21)

Grant Amount:

US$ 20,000.00

Co-Financing Cash:

Co-Financing in-Kind:

US$ 14,000.00

Project Number:

SLE/SGP/OP7/Y1/CORE/BD/17/12/2020/8

Start Date:

1/2021

End Date:

12/2021

Status:

Satisfactorily Completed

Project Characteristics and Results

Inovative Financial Mechanisms

Community meetings and radio discussion programmes will serve as knowledge- sharing platforms whereby critical information on biodiversity conservation and protection of the mangrove ecology will be shared with local communities and relevant stakeholders. Through such platforms, new ideas on biodiversity conservation and preservation of the mangrove forest shared with communities. This will help build their capacities to adopt measures that will prevent over-exploitation of the mangrove forest. Through beekeeping, new knowledge will be created. Community members trained in beekeeping will share skills acquired with others. In the long term, knowledge-sharing on beekeeping will contribute to income diversification among local communities. At the district level, critical operational information, best practices and lessons learned will be shared with relevant stakeholders through the Bonthe District Council Development Forum meetings organized on a monthly basis. The wider public will also benefit from knowledge sharing through newspaper publications and other IEC materials. Organizational learning will also form part of knowledge management. Through this project, SEED staff will acquire new knowledge on how to manage and implement biodiversity conservation projects. This new knowledge will prove useful in planning and designing future projects relating to biodiversity conservation and mangrove forest protection.

Policy Impact

Policy impact will be achieved at community, sectorial and district levels. Engagements with the relevant sectors and the District Council will immensely help influence policy on BDC in the Bonthe District. Once they are engaged, they will integrate BDC in their policies, plans and activities. They will also adopt policies aimed at protecting the mangrove forest and species of high conservation value associated with the habitat. Through effective co-management, communities and district stakeholders will formulate and implement bye-laws at the local level to protect the mangrove forests from over exploitation

Promoting Public Awareness of Global Environment

Results of the project will also be shared with NGOs, District Council and other development partners in Bonthe District through the monthly Development Coordinating Forum meetings organized by the Bonthe District Council. This is a district level learning and sharing platform that brings together all development partners on a monthly basis to enable them share on their successes, challenges, lessons learnt etc The project has great potential for replication across mangrove ?dependent coastal communities in Bonthe District and Sierra Leone. It is envisaged that through the public awareness, other coastal communities can learn a great deal about the significance of protecting the mangrove and will therefore be in a position to replicate aspects, best practices and learning from this project. It is also hoped that other organizations involved in environmental protection and biodiversity conservation can scale up key learning and approaches used by this project in other parts of the Sierra Leone

Capacity - Building Component

SEED has experience in managing two (2) separate projects on environmental protection and awareness creation. In 2015, it participated in the implementation of the OP 5 GEF small grants programme. In 2014, it also implemented a component of an Environmental Governance Programme with support from European Commission through Christian Aid. The organization?s role was to facilitate environmental education in selected schools, setting up of school nature clubs and training of environmental monitors in Bonthe District. SEED has a team of staff with expertise and experience in implementing community-driven projects. The team has undergone a series of trainings. The Executive Director has also participated in a wide range of international courses on climate change, social entrepreneurship, biodiversity conservation, women?s and youths? empowerment, strategic planning & management and micro enterprise development. The Project manager also has a wealth of experience working with coastal communities in Bonthe District between 2010-2016

Notable Community Participation

The project concept was amply shared and discussions initiated on the problem, solutions, community contribution and specific changes anticipated. In other words, stakeholder groups identified the over-exploitation of the mangrove as a community problem and suggested ways through which the problem could be solved. They also suggested contributions they can make to tackle the problem. Focus group discussions were also held with women and youths to identify specific income generation activities they would like the proposed project to support them undertake. During such discussions, various options came up and were prioritized by the groups. In the end, two options (beekeeping and vegetable production) were selected. Women suggested that they would also like the proposed project to support them with training in sustainable oyster harvest. The project idea was shared with the councilors responsible for the two (2) chiefdoms where the project will be implemented. One-to-one discussions and key informant interviews were held with the councilors, local authorities and District Council staff.

Emphasis on Sustainable Livelihoods

The project will improve on unsustainable oyster production, a dominant economic activity women are currently embarking up on. Oysters naturally grow on the mangrove trees and are often harvested by women by cutting down the trees. Women will be trained in sustainable oyster harvest to ensure they are able to carry out this economic activity without contributing to the destruction of the mangrove forest. Women and youths will also be supported by the project to undertake vegetable production. They will be trained in improved practices and compost production to enhance increased yields. Beekeeping will also be introduced as a new socio-economic activity to diversify income sources among women and youths. They will be supported with essential materials and trained in beekeeping practices, processing and packaging

Gender Focus

The proposed project will therefore strive to ensure all categories of people at risk of exclusion benefit from project interventions. Men, women, children (boys & girls) and PLWD will be targeted by the environmental education initiatives on mangrove protection. Men, women?s and PLWD will be also targeted by other project activities (radio, beekeeping, vegetable production & trainings).

Significant Participation of Indigenous Peoples

The proposed project will use Sherbro and Mende (two predominant languages) to carry out awareness raising. Community meetings and radio programmes will be mainly conducted in these two languages to enhance participation of local people.

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Indicators

Biophysical

Hectares of globally significant biodiversity area protected or sustainably managed by project 500

Empowerment

Number of CBOs / NGOs formed or registered through the SGP project 20

Livehood

Number of individuals (gender diaggregated) who have benefited* from SGP project 800

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