Sierra Leone Water Security and WASH Access Improvement Project

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The Project is designed to increase access to water supply and sanitation services, improve the operational performance of water service providers, and enhance water resources management in Sierra Leone. Its components are mutually reinforcing, creating a platform for both immediate service improvements and long‐term capacity building that will drive water security. The proposed Project is structured around six components:Component 1: Institutional Strengthening and Capacity Building (US$8.55 million).MWRS will implement this component, which will include technical assistance, equipment and consulting services. Subcomponent 1.1: Policy, Institutions, Regulation Strengthening (US$1.35 million) will: (i) review and complete existing sector policies and regulations (e.g. 2010 Water Policy and draft 2021 WASH Policy) to ensure that they contribute to delivering on WASH priorities and include provisions to address climate-related risks such as floods and landslides; (ii) support MWRS in operationalizing its sanitation mandate by developing its organizational structure, responsibility-sharing arrangements and essential management systems and tools to be able to deliver on its mandates; (iii) strengthen the role of the MWRS in coordinating WASH sector interventions across national and local governments; (iv) support logistics related to regular Donor coordination group meetings involving all development partners and NGOs involved in the sector to structure it as a platform to share information, promote coordinated approaches, ensure alignment with GoSL’s priorities, crowd in more funding for the sector and promote private sector participation; (v) review policies and regulations and advise on PPP options to leverage private sector value addition to improve the quality-of-service delivery and to extend access to WASH services in Sierra Leone; and (vi) develop sanitation and fecal sludge management guidelines and design standards for climate-smart WASH systems with specific measures to meet ECOWAS’ energy-efficiency standards; and (vii) strengthen the national WASH M&E platform.Subcomponent 1.2: Capacity Building and Knowledge Development (US$2.0 million) will: (i) assess the institutional and staff capacity building needs of MWRS, NWRMA, GVWC, SALWACO, SLEWRC, Freetown City Council (FCC) and WARDC; (ii) build on the assessment to develop a comprehensive institutional and staff capacity building plan and design adapted delivery mechanisms for each institution involved; (iii) develop training material and curriculum for entry level staff, vocational and on-the-job trainings for existing technical and managerial staff, and evidence-based decision-making course for executives and senior officials. Specific training materials, processes and incentives targeted to women will be devised to ensure that women’s perspectives are considered during curriculum development and delivery, and that training formats are adapted to encourage women's participation, including through safe learning environments and consideration of practical constraints; (iv) equip one existing training center. Parts of the capacity building activities may be delivered through the PPPs for WASH service improvement and extension.Subcomponent 1.3: Construct a WASH Administrative Center (US$5.2 million) will procure and construct a WASH Administrative Center to host the MWRS, NWRMA and SLEWRC, as the previous MWRS building burnt down in 2023. This Center will seek to showcase good water and wastewater management (e.g. rainwater harvesting for toilets and nature-based solutions to treat wastewater). It will be designed to meet or exceed ECOWAS energy efficiency standards to plant trees for shadow and install solar panels on roofs and parking shadowing screens, so it acts as a demonstration and learning site. It will also provide laboratory equipment to allow regular water quality measurements to detect industrial or domestic pollutants and will structure a revenue stream to ensure the sustainable supply of consumables.Component 1 will enhance the country’s resilience to climate change–exacerbated risks such as floods, droughts, extreme heat, and landslides by improving water governance, capacity building and strengthening relevant government institutions. Improved governance will contribute to watersheds and ecosystems preservation, and higher water quality.Component 2: Water Resources Management Improvement (US$3.0 million).This component will be managed by the NWRMA, with support and oversight by the MWRS. It will support activities to improve water resources planning and mobilization and to protect the Western Area Peninsula National Park, the only water resource for the Western Area. This will be done through technical assistance and consultants services, based on a collaborative and consultative approach. This component will also promote data-driven decision-making, stronger regulation, and community engagement—key pillars in improving WRM in Sierra Leone.Subcomponent 2.1: National Water Resources Master Plan and Sector Knowledge Enhancement (US$2.6 million). Activities under this subcomponent will develop a national Water Resources Master Plan, including updating the existing national inventory of ground- and surface water abstraction points in Sierra Leone, informing the hydrological and hydrogeological characteristics, determining the water balance in the country’s various River Basins, estimating the water resources and groundwater potential of each River basin, modelling climate-induced impacts on water resources, and mapping and documenting land and water use patterns of major River Basins. The masterplan will also examine measures to enforce the implementation of existing WRM Regulations, in particular the annual ‘licensing to operate’ for all drilling companies operating in Sierra Leone, and the need to obtain a permit and to register any new borehole into the national inventory. This activity is a prerequisite to securing water resources outside of the Western Area in subsequent MPA phases.Subcomponent 2.2: Raising awareness, catchment protection and rejuvenation need (US$0.4 million). This subcomponent will include three main activities. First, it will fund erecting billboards to demarcate the greenbelt boundary in areas requiring raising awareness of the limit beyond which human activity means encroaching and increase monitoring and surveillance. Second, it will build protective barriers to protect the catchment of selected water supply weirs either in the buffer zone outside the greenbelt or within it and which are under increasing encroachment pressure. Third, it will prepare a map of priority areas suggesting catchment restorative nature-based solutions (e.g., afforestation, soil conservation) to be implemented to restore the greenbelt forest cover in places where it has been degraded and monitor soil moisture and carbon sequestration to demonstrate that preserving forest cover increases climate resilience. To implement these activities, NWRMA will collaborate with MWRS, GVWC, Ministry of Environment and Climate Change (MoECC), the National Protected Area Authority and NGOs active in this field, such as the Catholic Relief Services. By enhancing water resources planning, monitoring, and protection, Component 2 will support long-term water security, improve resilience and reduce the potential impact of floods (as water will be less contaminated) and droughts, as enough clean water will become available when and where needed, and water service disruptions will be reduced. Component 3: Priority Investments in Urban Water Supply (US$16.25 million).This component will be implemented by GVWC, with oversight by the MWRS. It will finance works, goods and consultants’ services aiming at improving GVWC’s operational efficiency, water supply service delivery in Greater Freetown and cost recovery and creditworthiness. It will complement an ongoing project of the Africa Development Bank (AfD