SLURC/DPU Action-Learning Alliance Strategic pathways to disrupt risk in Freetown MSc Environment and Sustainable Development Practice Module 2019-20 POLICY BRIEF NO6 Enhanced Mobility Key Points • Mobility is constrained by the frequency and magnitude of precipitation, natural hazards and topography, the effects of which will be ex- acerbated by climate change. Informal settle- ments located on the coast and hillsides lack adequate and safe road networks. • Women experience physical violence, chil- dren are prone to road accidents, and the eldery and disabled are not afforded the necessary at- tention required to accommodate their needs. • Residents primarily rely on walking and infor- mal modes of transport to access economic, Figure 1: Vehicular movement in Freetown, Sierra Leone, 2018. Photo Credit: T-SUM social, health and education services, reinforc- ing the cycle of poverty. The lack of data and Introduction research on transport/mobility hinders the abil- ity to identify and implement effective policy for Mobility within Freetown is constrained by poor physical infrastructure, public trans- those who are most at risk. port and safety, as well as its geography and climate. Such conditions are all ex- acerbated during the rainy season and in times of disaster, the effects of which are • Roads accidents can be reduced through going to increase with climate change. People living in informal settlements are dis- the pro-pedestrian infrastructure, signage and proportionately burdened by the lack of mobility which cause, drive and reinforce the the enforcement of speed limits and traffic cycle of poverty. The difficulty in addressing these issues in part stem from the lack regulations. of resources, attention, and data devoted to enhancing mobility at a city, community, and individual scale. This brief aims to identify the ways in which enhanced mobility • Informal modes of transport can navigate can address and contribute to socio-environmental justice within the city of Freetown. narrow, unpaved, congested roads in times It will suggest that through multilevel, transnational partnerships with an emphasis of flooding but also are harder to regulate and on community-based participation Freetown can effectively remedy its mobility prob- represent more risk. lems. Improving connectivity, reliability and affordability of transportation within Free- town will foster a more inclusive and interconnected environment allowing residents to • Improving connectivity, reliability and afforda- participate in different social, economic and political spheres. bility of transportation within Freetown will foster a more inclusive and interconnected environ- Authors ment allowing residents to participate in differ- Josh Andrews, Brian Caplan, Rachel Fisch, Maho Osamura, Mana Saza, Nirut ent social, economic and political spheres. Toophom, Charlaine Yam “Enhanced mobility: Improving connectivity, reliability and affordabil- ity of transportation within Freetown will foster a more inclusive and interconnected environment allowing residents to participate in differ- ent social, economic and political spheres." 1. Overview of informal settlements, inadequate road Freetown’s current mobility targets. This Freetown has experienced rapid popu- networks and frequently irregular servic- will be followed by an evaluation of the lation growth, increasing by 43% within es. This affects informal residents’ ability current governance landscape identifying the last decade alone [1]. This was due to access goods, services and to partici- community organisations and funding av- to natural population growth and migra- pate in decision-making processes. This enues to achieve enhanced mobility. It will tion catalysed by poverty, insecurity and has created a challenge in meeting the conclude by briefly reviewing the current conflict in rural areas of Sierra Leone. The required need and provision of transport mobility constraints and those that would unmanaged urban expansion and lack of infrastructure and services. be most benefited by enhanced mobility. suitable, affordable land has resulted in the fragmentation of the city which is a For the purposes of this brief, enhanced 1.1 Climate and cause and symptom of poor mobility [2]. mobility will be defined as: increased Topography As a result, it is comprised of high density movement of people and goods through (8,450 persons per km2) [3], informal set- improved infrastructure, transportation Mobility is constrained in Freetown due tlements in hazard-prone areas in which and safety, enhancing people’s access to the city’s geographical positioning, 75.6% [4] of the population lives. These to social, economic, and emergency topography and climate. Its location on areas often go unrecognised when infra- services. Enhanced mobility through im- low-lying, coastal plains bordered by in- structure development is implemented. proving connectivity, reliability and afford- land hillsides makes it particularly vulner- Informal settlements, characterised by ability of transportation within Freetown able to natural hazards. Natural hazards narrow dirt and gravel paths, are often will foster a more inclusive and intercon- occur frequently and severely, with flood- inaccessible to conventional public trans- nected environment allowing residents to ing ranking at 5 and 4 on the HARPIS-SL port and emergency services. Accord- participate in different social, economic frequency and magnitude scales respec- ing to the World Bank, Freetown’s urban and political spheres. This policy brief tively [6]. This is prominent during the wet transport system suffers from three major will begin by providing context regarding season (May-November) when rainfall deficiencies: “an inefficient road network, climate and topography, transportation increases from 125-250mm (dry sea- a backlog of road maintenance, and a networks, and road safety in Freetown. son) to 2500-3500mm [7]. Deforestation, lack of pedestrian facilities.” [5] Further- It will then examine road safety initiatives poor drainage and rising sea levels all more, the current public transport system implemented in Mexico City, Mexico and exacerbate the risk and effects of flood- is largely unreliable and inaccessible to Kampala, Uganda which serve as valua- ing. Flooding further increases the risk the city’s poor due to the remote locations ble case studies that can aid in achieving of other natural hazards occurring, such Figure 2: Map of Freetown highlighting the most vulnerable settlements and hazard location, 2019. Source: ReMapRisk Freetown. as mud and landslides, which create showed that the bottom 20%, in terms The use of these modes of informal widespread destruction to roads, infra- of income, spend as much on transport transport have significantly increased, structure, and livelihoods. A more inter- toschool as they do on school fees, and growing by more than 20% annually in connected transportation system would spend double their medical costs to recent years [14]. Their ability to navi- improve the city’s resilience and ability to travel to a medical facility [8]. In the Ur- gate congested and unpaved roads and cope with natural hazards allowing con- ban Mobility targets, there is an attempt challenging topographics makes them tinued mobility throughout all seasons to improve public and private modes of an essential resource for under-serviced reducing economic stagnation, loss of life transportation, but informal transporta- communities, especially during the rainy and livelihood, and infrastructural dam- tion accounts for 70% of transportation season and natural disasters, in part due age that disproportionately affects those modes in Freetown [9]. As exhibited in to their ability to navigate the congested in the risk areas shown in Figure 2. Figure 3, the primary modes of transport and unpaved roads. The current trans- used in informal settlements are walking port system is particularly vulnerable and (82%), taxis (75%) and motorbikes/buses highly exposed, the effects of which will 1.2 Transportation (50%) [10]. be exacerbated by the impacts of climate Networks change. Improving connectivity, reliability Informal settlements are further away and affordability of transportation within Currently, Freetown has a formal public from the central economic and services Freetown will foster a more inclusive and transport network consisting mainly of located in the city centre and therefore interconnected environment allowing bus and ferry routes run by Sierra Leone have to travel further. According to data residents to participate in different social, Roads Transport Authority (SLRTA). How- from KNOWYOURCITY, a global cam- economic and political spheres. At the ever, the current public transport system paign headed by Slum Dwellers Interna- moment, marine transport are used for is largely unreliable and inaccessible to tional focused on creating alternative sys- airport transfers and ferries used to cross the city’s poor due to the remote loca- tems of knowledge created by residents, the Tagerin Bay, overall it is underutilized tions of informal settlements, inadequate Cockle Bay (Hill View) residents have no when considering the large amounts of road networks and irregular services. access to hospital facilities and must trav- people living along the coast. el to either Aberdeen or Lumley [11]. Res- As a result, residents are dependent on idents of Cockle Bay (population 20,000), more expensive, often unsafe informal and Moeba (population 30,00) to the east 1.3 Stakeholders