On Tuesday, October 22, 2024, a high-level meeting was held between the Freetown City Council (FCC) and the Implementation Support Mission of the World Bank’s Resilient Urban Sierra Leone Project (RUSLP).

The discussions centered on assessing the progress of various RUSLP initiatives currently being implemented by FCC. The meeting, which took place at the FCC headquarters, was attended by Mayor Yvonne Aki-Sawyerr, Deputy Mayor Kweku Lisk, Chief Administrator Rahman Tom Farmar, and other key FCC officials.

Representing the World Bank delegation were Senior Disaster Risk Management Specialist Francis Samson Nkoka and PIU Lead Anthony Koroma.

The Resilient Urban Sierra Leone Project is a critical component of FCC’s Transform Freetown-Transforming Lives Development Agenda, with the World Bank acting as a significant donor partner.

The project aims to build Freetown’s resilience against urban challenges, including climate-related risks, informal settlement issues, and urban planning deficiencies. Several key initiatives were reviewed during the meeting, including the #FreetownTheTreeTown campaign, the upgrading of three informal settlements, the development of the Western Area Regional Structure Plan, and the creation of a comprehensive Freetown Structure Plan.

Mayor Aki-Sawyerr expressed her appreciation for the ongoing support from the World Bank, noting that these projects are pivotal to the city’s broader efforts to improve the quality of life for its residents.

She highlighted the importance of the #FreetownTheTreeTown initiative, which seeks to enhance environmental sustainability through tree planting and urban greening efforts, as well as the upgrade of informal settlements, which aims to provide safer and more livable conditions for some of Freetown’s most vulnerable communities.

The development of the Freetown Structure Plan and the Western Area Regional Structure Plan are also crucial steps in shaping the future of the city’s urban landscape. These plans are designed to address the rapid urbanization of Freetown, providing a strategic framework for sustainable growth, land use management, and disaster risk reduction.