New Living Labs Working Publication: Climate Change Adaptation in the Sherbro River Estuary
September 25, 2024
West Africa Blue has released a new Living Labs Working Publication titled Adaptation Briefing Note: Sherbro River Estuary, offering insights into innovative strategies for addressing coastal erosion and the impacts of climate change in Sierra Leone's Sherbro River Estuary. The document highlights grey-green infrastructure solutions that integrate natural and engineered methods, with a focus on promoting sustainable shoreline protection and mangrove restoration.
As part of the Living Labs Working Publication series, this document serves as a work-in-progress resource designed to share early-stage research and methodologies. These working documents offer stakeholders, researchers, and market participants an opportunity to engage with and provide feedback on preliminary insights, helping to refine and expand blue carbon solutions. As a working document, it may be subject to updates and revisions as our work continues to evolve.
Key Highlights from the Adaptation Briefing Note:
Grey-Green Infrastructure Solutions: The document introduces the use of gabion baskets, filled with oyster shells, as a novel method to stabilize shorelines, prevent further erosion, and promote natural mangrove regeneration. This technique is being piloted in the Hanging Site village in Sierra Leone, where erosion has already claimed much of the community’s land.
Community-Led Adaptation: The project aims to empower local communities by training them to build and deploy the gabion baskets, fostering self-sufficiency in combating coastal erosion and adapting to climate impacts.
Potential for Scaling: If successful, this approach could be expanded to other vulnerable coastal areas in Sierra Leone and across West Africa, where erosion threatens both mangrove ecosystems and traditional livelihoods.
The release of this Living Labs Working Publication reflects our ongoing commitment to finding and sharing sustainable adaptation solutions to climate change. We invite stakeholders and interested parties to explore the full document and engage with the insights presented.
You can download the full publication from the Living Labs section of our website or access it via the link below.