The interventions of the UNDP Energy, Environment & Natural Resource Management Programme in Sierra Leone focus on the nexus between poverty, lack of access to renewable energy, environmental degradation, and vulnerability to climate change impacts. The vast majority of people in Sierra Leone rely on natural resources for their main sources of livelihoods. Management of natural resources is closely tied to stability, economic development, rural integration, and improved governance. This is particularly relevant in the context of the country’s vulnerability to climate change and disasters, and weak institutional capacities to address these vulnerabilities and foster resilience. The programme works to strengthen national and local capacities to manage the nation’s natural capital, including land, water, biodiversity, and mineral resources for the advancement of poverty reduction in an environmentally sustainable and socially equitable manner. Our work is guided by the conventions to which Sierra Leone is signatory, the 3rd NPRSP Agenda for Prosperity 2013-2018, as well as the United Nations Development Assistance Framework 2015-2018. Because sustainable development requires a truly integrated approach, the strategic intervention areas supported by the EENRM programme cut across sectors and are implemented in collaboration with a wide range of partners from Government MDA’s, NGOs and CSOs, Academic institutions and the private sector to local communities.

Our Goals

The programme aims to effect development change through two strategic programmatic areas: 1. Strengthening mechanisms and frameworks that promote social and environmental sustainability in natural resource management. 2. Enhancing capacity for climate change adaptation and disaster risk management at the national, district and community level. UNDP support includes activities that focus on enhancing the legislative enabling environment (e.g. improving legislative frameworks, policy reviews, development of strategies and action plans), as well as at enhancing implementation capacities at national, district and community levels. more