Exploring resilience across coastal, lowland, and hillside settlements.
Research Overview
Freetown, Sierra Leone’s coastal capital, sits between steep hills and the Atlantic Ocean. Its rapid growth has pushed communities into precarious spaces — crowded coastal edges, floodplains, and unstable hillsides. The sites of Cockle Bay, Colbot, and Moyiba capture these layered risks, showing how residents sustain livelihoods and daily life in settlements highly exposed to flooding, landslides, and coastal change.
Crowded coastal settlement built on reclaimed wetlands
Cockle Bay lies on the edge of Freetown’s coast, where land reclaimed from mangroves and tidal flats now supports dense informal housing. Residents depend on fishing, small-scale trading, and daily wage work. Seasonal flooding and tidal surges threaten homes and livelihoods, yet the settlement continues to expand along the waterfront.
Photo Documentation
Research Documents
Maps
Low-lying flood-prone neighbourhood at the city’s edge
Colbot, a settlement on Freetown’s eastern edge, is built along swampy lowlands. Families rely on informal trade, fishing, and wage labour. Seasonal flooding regularly cuts through homes and pathways, leaving the community vulnerable to waterborne risks and displacement.
Photo Documentation
Research Documents
Maps
Hillside settlement exposed to landslides and steep terrain
Moyiba is perched on the hillsides above central Freetown. Homes climb steep slopes where residents depend on informal work, quarrying, and petty trade. Fragile housing on unstable ground makes the settlement highly vulnerable to landslides and erosion, especially during heavy rains.
Photo Documentation
Research Documents
Maps
