Provision of advice and support for the development of hydrological and meteorological services in Sierra Leone
We led an 18-month assignment to address the needs of Sierra Leonean agencies by supporting them in developing high-impact weather and flood forecasting and warning technical assistance.
- Client World Bank
- Location Sierra Leone
- Wider
project
team Becky Venton Consulting, Ghana Meteorological Agency, University of Leeds - Services
Sierra Leone is highly exposed and vulnerable to the impact of flood, windstorms, landslides, droughts and coastal erosion. Fundamental to the management of the risks associated with these disasters is the strengthening of emergency preparedness and response systems, underpinned by data, knowledge and information through the operation of fully functioning hydrological and meteorological observation and early warning systems.
Real-time management of hydrometeorological risks
We assembled a team of international experts in national hydromet service modernisation, capacity building and early warning system development. We worked in close partnership with three national agencies in Sierra Leone – Meteorology, Water Resources and Disaster Management - to understand their capacities and needs.
Through training and co-development of procedures within the agencies, we have helped lay foundations for real-time management of hydrometeorological risks across the country. In Freetown, the capital, the highest risk is flash flooding, which was a focal area for this assignment.
Providing advice on real-time flood risk to support emergency response actions
There have been multiple benefits from this assignment. We supported the development of a cross-agency advisory group, termed the 'Flood Risk Task Force', made up of each of the three Sierra Leonean agencies. This group will provide advice on real-time flood risk to support emergency response actions.
Through training and other interventions, the capacity of each of the three agencies has been increased. A significantly enhanced Daily Weather Forecast product is being produced by the national meteorological agency. A flood forecasting system has been developed and trialed and new procedures have been developed to support decision making ahead of and during flood events.
Contact Murray Dale for more information on our support for the development of hydrological and meteorological services in Sierra Leone.
