Flood risk and resilience: Protecting education in Sierra Leone

How the government of Sierra Leone is using risk mapping to build a climate-resilient education system.

January 20, 2025 by Ian Sullivan, Fab Inc., and Ines Achtell, Fab Inc.
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4 minutes read
Students at St Luke's Pre-primary school in Wilberforce, Sierra Leone. Credit: World Bank/Erick Kaglan

Students at St Luke's Pre-primary school in Wilberforce, Sierra Leone.

Credit: World Bank/Erick Kaglan

Sierra Leone’s schools face mounting challenges due to climate change, with flooding emerging as one of the most critical threats to education.

Savvy use of data, including from satellite images, on school infrastructure and social demographics such as poverty levels can help decision makers develop climate strategies to respond to the scale of the challenges.

Understanding climate impacts on education requires taking into account the hazards, vulnerability and risks that schools face.

In the last decade, the government of Sierra Leone can point to many achievements in education such as expanding enrolment from 2 million in 2018 to 3.3 million students in 2022.

However, the education sector risks becoming an unintended casualty of climate change without proactive and targeted action, especially due to climate-induced flooding.

To address these threats, the government is using risk mapping to undertake the urgent task of building a climate-resilient education system.

Risk mapping: A strategic approach to resilience

In 2023, Fab Inc. worked with the World Bank to publish Flooding and Schooling in Sierra Leone. Data and findings from the report are directly informing the Ministry of Basic and Senior Secondary Education’s Climate and Education Action Plan, currently under development.

The action plan will serve as a convening document to coordinate investment into strengthening the climate resilience of the country’s education system.

Developing the report also led to the creation of ‘The School Flood Risk Index’—a data-driven tool designed to help policy makers systematically address the risks posed by flooding. It integrates 3 critical components—hazard mapping, vulnerability assessments and risk analysis—to identify the most at-risk schools, towns and regions to guide intervention efforts.

Risk maps showing the number of flooded schools and share by district in Sierra Leone.

Risk maps showing the number of flooded schools and share by district in Sierra Leone.

Hazard mapping uses satellite imagery to pinpoint schools in flood-prone areas by analyzing historical flooding data, providing a clear understanding of where floods are likely to occur.

Vulnerability assessments consider factors such as the quality of school infrastructure, access to water and sanitation, and the socioeconomic conditions of surrounding communities.

These assessments are vital for identifying schools not only exposed to flooding, but also potentially ill-equipped to cope with its impacts.

Risk map indicating overall vulnerability to floods in Sierra Leone, by district

Risk map indicating overall vulnerability to floods in Sierra Leone, by district.

By combining information from these datasets, the index generates a comprehensive risk profile for each school and prioritizes those that require immediate attention. This ensures that resources can be allocated efficiently and equitably, maximizing their impact and reducing the overall vulnerability of the education sector within the country.

This approach exemplifies how evidence-based planning can provide targeted solutions for the complex challenges tied to climate change impacts on education.

Insights from the school flood risk index, in addition to the report, can support decision makers in other countries to safeguard education systems through climate adaptation just like in Sierra Leone.

Flooding: A growing threat to education

Risk map indicating flood hazard (a component of risk) in Sierra Leone, by district

Risk map indicating flood hazard (a component of risk) in Sierra Leone, by district.

Our analysis shows that in Sierra Leone there are around 1,000 schools—approximately 8% of all schools in Sierra Leone—that are in locations that experienced at least one flooding event between 2021 to 2023.

Floodwaters in some schools persisted for over 5 days and many schools experienced multiple floods.

In addition to the likely impacts of flooding on infrastructure, the analysis also highlighted the potential scale of impacts on learning continuity as more than 370,000 students—11% of the school-age population—attend schools in flood-prone areas.

With climate change intensifying, events that once occurred every 100 years may now happen more regularly, making the need for proactive measures to protect education in Sierra Leone increasingly urgent.

Our approach can also support decision makers to prioritize where to focus attention and resources. For instance, our analysis showed that flooding predominantly occurs in districts in the west of the country: Bonthe, Kambia and Western Area Urban are particularly affected due to a combination of coastal surges, river inundations and urban flash floods.

Building a resilient education system

While large-scale disasters such as the 2017 mudslides often draw significant attention, there is an urgent need to address smaller-scale, frequent hazards (like floods) that cumulatively cause significant disruption.

Our research provides actionable insights into enhancing Sierra Leone’s climate resilience. Strengthening school infrastructure is a top priority with a focus on: constructing flood-resistant buildings, improving drainage systems and incorporating renewable energy solutions to ensure that schools can remain functional during and after floods.

Additionally, community engagement is essential for developing disaster response plans that are tailored to local challenges.

Maintaining social interventions such as school feeding programs during school disruptions can also play a critical role in minimizing the impact on vulnerable families as they not only provide essential nutrition, but also incentivize continued school attendance during challenging times.

Framework for the future

The findings from this report are invaluable for guiding resource allocation and strengthening disaster risk reduction efforts in Sierra Leone, particularly in prioritizing schools at flood risk.

It is not a one-size-fits-all solution, but the report offers a replicable framework for addressing climate risks to education.

By prioritizing interventions based on risk data and vulnerability assessments, Sierra Leone and other countries vulnerable to climate impacts can ensure their resources are used efficiently and effectively to keep children learning.

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