This paper is a climate and environment assessment that was conducted as part of the “Business Case” for supporting the “Constitutional Review Process in Sierra Leone”.

Sierra Leone is a country with a population highly vulnerable to climate and environment related challenges. The civil war have intensified environmental challenges such as flooding, landslides, poor air and water quality. Identically, natural resources are causal and consequential factors of instability and conflict.

Correspondingly, a strong environmental regulatory framework is needed for the sustainable management of natural resources. Furthermore, good governance is needed for building adaptive capacity to climate extremes and disasters.

Conclusions contain:

constitutional reform in Sierra Leone could provide for the strengthening of the legislative framework for responses to climate and environmental challenges
if constitutional reform is achieved successfully, the new constitution is expected to provide greater recognition of human rights and less discrimination against vulnerable groups, especially women
consequently, vulnerable and marginal groups including women would become more empowered to participate in life and livelihood decisions that affect their wellbeing

Recommendations include:

provide grants to a wide range of civil society organisations including those with a thematic specialism such as environment, women or indigenous groups
raise awareness and the knowledge base of all partners on the linkages between environment, climate change and democratic governance including the environmental rights of individuals and vulnerable groups