Harnessing the potentials of the oceanic economy, also known as blue economy, has emerged as a crucial development opportunity for optimum use of the oceans, seas, and marine resources for sustainable development. Accordingly, the Government of Sierra Leone has embraced the emerging concept of the Blue Economy as a mechanism to diversify its economy and realize ocean-based sustainable economic development. However, to date, the country has explored only a few Blue Economy sectors such as fisheries, tourism, and port facilities, using traditional methods. This, thus presents opportunities as well as challenges for exploring these blue economy sectors, including the fishery, maritime trade and shipping, energy, tourism, coastal protection, aquaculture, mining, maritime safety, and surveillance, addressing environmental changes and managing carbon discharge, and introducing innovative technology for further development to contribute to achieving sustainable development goals.
Considering the above, the UNDP through its Natural Resource Management (NRM) portfolio, supported the Government of Sierra Leone to develop a Blue Economy Strategic Framework (BESF) for harnessing the country’s oceanic resources, through a national consultative process, including desk reviews. The final draft strategy reflects an inclusive and integrated approach to the Blue Economy management that would guide policies going forward. With the recent validation of the BESF, it is critical that an implementation strategy which will include the overall timeline, a breakdown of priorities for each year along with the criteria for prioritization. The strategy should also consider potential collaboration and partnership beyond government institutions i.e. UN APF, NGOs and IFIs.
In view of the above, the services of a National Consultant are required for a minimum of 30 working days to develop a National Action Plan (NAP) for the implementation of the Blue Economy Strategic Framework, including working with the Ministry of Planning and Economic Development to consolidate the various inputs and produce the final strategy document.
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