Freetown, Friday 5th April 2024 – Two research projects focusing on disaster management and resilience in Sierra Leone have been featured in a Cabinet Office publication in the United Kingdom (UK). The work of Bournemouth University Disaster Management Centre (BUDMC), characterized by dynamic co-creative partnerships with the National Disaster Management Agency (NDMA), has been highlighted in the latest issue of the UK Resilience Lessons Digest (Issue 4), published by the UK Cabinet Office and the Emergency Planning College (EPC).
Distributed nationwide to UK resilience officers, Local Resilience Forums (LRF), and other stakeholders, the Digest focuses on the theme of ‘Learning to Adapt’. A special section within the Digest, titled ‘Spotlight on Sierra Leone’, delves into the lessons gleaned from two of Bournemouth University’s research projects: AFRICAB (Driving African Capacity-Building in Disaster Management, 2018-2021) and EVALDIS (Evaluating Local Disaster Management in Sierra Leone, 2022-23).
Professor Lee Miles, Deputy Dean of the Business School and Professor of Crisis and Disaster Management, led both projects. He expressed his appreciation, stating, “It is a real privilege to see the AFRICAB and EVALDIS projects featured in such detail in the Digest. These projects were highlighted due to their successful co-creation partnerships with key stakeholders and partners in Sierra Leone, including the NDMA, Freetown City Council (FCC), and community and chiefdom disaster management committees (CDMCs) across the country.”
“These partnerships have resulted in significant governmental reports in Sierra Leone, launched by the NDMA in September 2021 (AFRICAB Report) and March 2023 (EVALDIS Report) in Freetown, influencing thinking on climate resilience and disaster management. Additionally, the Digest underscores the best-practice development and application of cutting-edge techniques and diagnostics for identifying and addressing ‘resolvable single points of failure’ (SPOF) that can undermine policies and plans for achieving enhanced climate resilience in the developing world.”
Mohamed L. Bah, Director of Communications at NDMA, remarked, “The significant cooperation of NDMA in the AFRICAB and EVALDIS projects, particularly the ongoing collaboration with Professor Lee Miles, ensures that the Agency is involved in developing contemporary approaches to enhance disaster management. These approaches are now being applied by the Agency across Sierra Leone and have attracted the attention of policymakers in the UK.”
This recognition in the Digest adds to the accolades received by the AFRICAB and EVALDIS projects, including a top-25 global ‘Innovations that Inspire’ award by AACSB, the world’s largest association of business schools in 2023, awarded to Bournemouth University Business School. This international recognition specifically acknowledges the contribution of the AFRICAB and EVALDIS projects to ‘Building Capacity to Manage Disasters in Africa’.
Professor Miles added, “It is gratifying to see the best practice work of the AFRICAB and EVALDIS projects gaining traction among UK planners and stakeholders seeking to enhance their climate resilience portfolios and disaster management skills. By focusing on Single Points of Failure (SPOF), we continue to learn and adapt, ensuring greater resilience in the face of future challenges.”
