The Republic of Sierra Leone’s government has launched the Western Area Peninsular Water Fund (WAPWF) with an investment of US $2M.
WAPWF is aimed at addressing the challenge of funding sustainable water resource management solutions in Freetown, the capital city. The fund aims to support the implementation of nature-based solutions and sustainable watershed management practices to ensure water security for Freetown’s nearly 1.35 million inhabitants.
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WAPWF
This US $2M water fund is part of a larger US $20M initiative aimed at maintaining a healthy watershed for the greater Freetown area and ensuring a reliable supply of clean water for all residents upstream and downstream. The initiative also involves the restoration of the Western Area Peninsula National Park, which is one of Sierra Leone’s biodiversity hotspots and covers approximately 17,000 hectares of dense forest.
WAPWF is being managed by the National Water Resources Management Agency (NWRMA) under Ministry of Water Resources and Sanitation. The ultimate goal is to contribute to achieving Sustainable Development Goal 6 (SDG6) by 2030, which focuses on ensuring access to water and sanitation for all and promoting sustainable management of water resources, especially in the face of climate change.
“WAPWF is the first water fund in West Africa. The innovative and collaborative approach of this water fund brings together different sectors around a common goal: to address the critical need for water security for all,” said Ademola Ajagbe, TNC’s Regional Managing Director for Africa.
