Institute of Environmental Management and Quality Control

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Author: search.filters.author.Sam-Mbomah, EdwinStart date: 2025

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    Investigating disater risk management and climate change adaptation effectiveness in freetown, Sierra Leone
    (AOSIS, 2025-08-26) Sam-Mbomah, Edwin
    Freetown, Sierra Leone, faces increasing risks from hazards such as floods, landslides, mudslides, fires and coastal erosion, threats that are increasingly intensified by climate change. Although disaster risk management (DRM) and climate change adaptation (CCA) policies are in place, concerns persist regarding their effectiveness. This study investigates the extent to which these policies have transitioned from good intentions to effective interventions in Freetown. Employing a case study approach, the research critically examines the disaster context, reviews relevant policy frameworks and implementation processes, and identifies both enablers and barriers to effective policy execution across five informal settlements, Kroo Bay, Susans Bay, Kulvert, Kolleh Town and Dwarzack. The findings reveal systemic deficiencies in DRM and CCA, including weak legal and institutional structures, poor inter-agency coordination, inadequate enforcement, limited access to data, and ineffective risk communication. Further obstacles include insufficient community engagement, the absence of legal mechanisms for resolving DRM and CCA related disputes, corruption, political instability, underinvestment in research and technology, and inadequate urban planning. The study recommends strengthening policy and institutional frameworks, promoting integrated collaborative planning processes, and supporting community-led resilience initiatives. Key priorities include enhancing risk assessments, developing robust early warning systems (EWS), improving urban planning, and fostering innovation through research and technology. Contribution: The study identifies key measures for effective DRM and CCA in Freetown, including community inclusion, capacity building, financial mechanisms, data management, risk communication, and resilient infrastructure development, especially for "at-risk" communities.
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    Insider-outsider reflections: researching disaster risk management and climate change adaptation in Freetown, Sierra Leone
    (Emerald Publishing Limited, 2025-10-10) Sam-Mbomah, Edwin
    Purpose In this paper, I critically reflect on my research positionality in conducting disaster risk management (DRM) and climate change adaptation (CCA) research in Freetown, Sierra Leone. Positioned both as an insider, due to my cultural and contextual familiarity, and as an outsider, due to my academic and professional affiliations, I explore the complexities of navigating this dual identity. This reflection examines how my positionality influences the research process: access to data, interactions with stakeholders, trust-building and the interpretation of findings. Design/methodology/approach The design is rooted on a critical reflexive examination of how my positionality influences the research processes, stakeholder engagement, data interpretation and overall knowledge production. Findings My dual insider-outsider status brought both advantages and challenges. As an insider, cultural familiarity, local knowledge and shared identity facilitated trust, access to key stakeholders and deeper contextual understanding, while my outsider positionality, influenced by academic affiliations ensured research rigor but sometimes led to power imbalances and scepticism among local participants. Navigating this required reflexivity to balance engagement, minimise bias and uphold ethical knowledge production. The findings underscore that researcher positionality is dynamic and context-dependent, shaping data collection, stakeholder interactions and research interpretation. Originality/value This paper acknowledges power dynamics, ethics and biases in research, promoting methodological transparency. It contributes to discussions on positionality and reflexivity in disaster risk and climate change adaptation studies, with a focus on urban African contexts.