Sierra Leone Livelihood Zoning Report
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SIERRA LEONE Livelihood Zones and Descriptions October 2016 Sierra Leone Livelihood Zoning Report A SPECIAL REPORT BY THE FAMINE EARLY WARNING SYSTEMS NETWORK (FEWS NET) OCTOBER 2016 FEWS NET -Famine Early Warning Systems Network 1 | P a g e SIERRA LEONE Livelihood Zones and Descriptions October 2016 CONTENT Introduction Methodology Overview of Rural Livelihoods in Sierra Leone Timeline of Hazard Events in Sierra Leone The National Livelihood Zone Map of Sierra Leone The National Seasonal Calendar of Sierra Leone Livelihood Zones Descriptions and Calendars of Sierra Leone Livelihood Zone 1 – Tonkolili Food Crops and Gold Livelihood Zone 2 – Bombali Food Crops, Peppers, Tobacco and Livestock Livelihood Zone 3 – Western Rice, Root Crops, Cereals and Trade Belt Livelihood Zone 4 – Coastal Food Crops and Fishing Livelihood Zone 5 – Kailahun-Kenema-Pujehun Cash Crops, Food Crops and Trade Livelihood Zone 6 – Kono-Kenema-Bo Rice, Tree Crops and Timbers Livelihood Zone 7 – Koinadugu Food Crops, Livestock and Trade Livelihood Zone 8 – Follosoba Dembellia and Wara Wara Yagala Vegetables Livelihood Zone 9 – Freetown Peri-Urban Livelihood Zone 10 – Rice Bowl Areas Annex I: List of Chiefdoms and Population by Livelihood Zone Annex II: Workshop Participants FEWS NET -Famine Early Warning Systems Network 2 | P a g e SIERRA LEONE Livelihood Zones and Descriptions October 2016 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS This work was done by the Famine Early Warning Systems Network (FEWS NET), a USAID activity, in collaboration with partners from the Sierra Leone Government, United Nations Agencies and non- governmental organizations (NGOs). The Sierra Leone Government was represented by the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Food Security, the Ministry of Fisheries and Marine Resources, and Statistics Sierra Leone. The United Nations was represented by the Food and Agricultural Organization and World Food Program. Non-governmental organizations were represented by Save the Children, World Vision and ACF. Our particular thanks go to the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Food Security (MAFFS) for attending the official opening of the workshop and allowing the participation of District Agriculture Officers and Senior Staff from Freetown. Our special thanks go to workshop participants who contributed their valuable time, in-depth knowledge of local livelihoods patterns and for engaging in meaningful discussions and intensive group work. These discussions led to the updating of the 2010 Sierra Leone Livelihood zone map which will serve as a knowledge base for FEWS NET activities in the country. They can also be used by the government and other partners. The map, descriptions and calendars are produced primarily as a knowledge base for FEWS NET’s activities in the country to derive early warning indicators for food security analysis. They can also be used for various purposes by FEWS NET, the Government and other partners1. This report was prepared by Amadou Diop, FEWS NET West Africa Regional Food Security Specialist (RFSS)- Livelihoods, with support from Alusine Kamara, FEWS NET Sierra Leone National Technical Manager (NTM), and under the technical oversight of Stephen Browne, FEWS NET Livelihoods Coordinator. The authors’ views expressed in this publication do not necessarily reflect the views of the United States Agency for International Development or the United States Government. 1 For more guidance on the applications of the livelihood zone map and profiles visit FEWS NET’s website (especially the Guidance Application of Livelihood Zone Maps and Profiles). FEWS NET -Famine Early Warning Systems Network 3 | P a g e SIERRA LEONE Livelihood Zones and Descriptions October 2016 ACRONYMS AND ABBREVIATIONS ACF Action Contre la Faim CILSS Permanent Interstate Committee for Drought Control in the Sahel DAO District Agriculture Officers EVD Ebola Virus Disease FAO Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations FEWS NET Famine Early Warning Systems Network HEA Household Economy Analysis LH Livelihood Zone MAFFS Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Food Security MFMR Ministry of Fisheries and Marine Resources SSL Statistics Sierra Leone WFP United Nations World Food Program USAID United States Agency for International Development FEWS NET -Famine Early Warning Systems Network 4 | P a g e SIERRA LEONE Livelihood Zones and Descriptions October 2016 INTRODUCTION A livelihood zone is a ‘geographical area where people generally have the same options for obtaining food and income and engaging in trade to meet their life and livelihood needs’. The process of livelihood zoning involves the boundary delimitation of a region or country into different zones which share common livelihood characteristics. The map and description which identify relevant variables by geographical location are used as a starting point for early waring analysis. The livelihood zoning is the first step of the Household Economy Analysis (HEA) framework which is the methodology that FEWS NET uses as the foundation for its livelihoods activities. To inform its integrated food security analysis, FEWS NET continuously expands and updates its livelihoods knowledge base. In 2010, FEWS NET and partners from the Government Ministries, CILSS and WFP undertook the update of the first mapping of food economy zones completed in Sierra Leone in 2001 by WFP. The 2010 update identified ten livelihood zones. Six years have passed since then and rural livelihoods in Sierra Leone may have changed due to several factors such as the changes on international market commodity prices (iron ore, cocoa and coffee) and the impacts of Ebola on crop production, markets functioning, food prices and casual labor work. In October 2016, FEWS NET and partners updated the 2010 livelihood zoning in order to have a better understanding of current rural livelihoods. METHODOLOGY The methodology used to update this livelihood zoning consisted of two main steps: 1. Before the livelihood zoning update exercise took place, a literature review was undertaken to gather secondary information, with a focus on essential thematic maps and data. Participants were asked to come with any relevant livelihoods information they might have, particularly those from the district level including district agriculture officers, extension officers and monitoring and evaluation officers. 2. A livelihood zoning update workshop was held in Freetown, Sierra Leone, from October 24th to October 26th in which key partners from Government ministries, departments and agencies, UN agencies and international NGOs participated (for more details, see Annex II). The workshop itself was made up of the four main sub-steps: A. A presentation on FEWS NET with a focus on its livelihoods-based analytical approach, followed by a presentation introducing the Household Economy Analysis (HEA) approach and the livelihood zoning. HEA is the methodology that FEWS NET uses as the foundation for its livelihoods activities. The key elements of a livelihood zone and its process were presented and discussed. Livelihood zoning products are primarily designed to serve as a framework for deriving early warning indicators. B. The participants were then invited to review the 2010 livelihood map based primarily on their knowledge of local livelihoods and relevant secondary information when available. Participants went through the process in plenary and reviewed the livelihood zones one by FEWS NET -Famine Early Warning Systems Network 5 | P a g e SIERRA LEONE Livelihood Zones and Descriptions October 2016 one to capture significant changes, if any, on livelihood patterns. In particular, participants were also asked where necessary to (i) split large livelihood zones if they find them no longer homogenous in terms of livelihoods or to (ii) merge different livelihood zones which might now have similar livelihood patterns. The list of chiefdoms included in each livelihood zone was accordingly reviewed and finalized in plenary. C. In a next step, participants updated the livelihood zones descriptions by filling in a new livelihood zone description form while considering the description of the 2010 zoning when relevant. The livelihood zones description provides essential information on: (i) the geography, (ii) the main livelihood patterns, (iii) the market flows and access, (iv) the seasonal migration and overwhelmingly (v) the productive assets, sources of income and common coping strategies disaggregated between poorer and wealthier households. D. In a last step, participants developed, for each livelihood zone, a comprehensive seasonal calendar of the zones and a primary food, income and expenditure calendar for poor households in each of the zones. Seasonal calendars show the timing of (i) the different seasons, (ii) the main livelihood activities, (iii) the secondary livelihood activities and (iv) the main hazards. The primary food, income and expenditure calendar for poor households offer a good picture of the seasonality of (i) the staple foods and sources, (ii) the main sources of income and (iii) the peak period of the non-food main expenditures. FEWS NET -Famine Early Warning Systems Network 6 | P a g e SIERRA LEONE Livelihood Zones and Descriptions October 2016 OVERVIEW OF RURAL LIVELIHOODS IN SIERRA LEONE Sierra Leone is located on the west coast of Africa and covers an area of about 72,000 square kilometers (28,000 square miles). It extends from latitude 7 degrees north to 10 degrees north, and from longitude 10 degrees west to 14 degrees west. The Republic of Guinea borders it