Freetown, Sierra Leone: Climate Resilient Market Hub

In 2025, the city of Freetown, Sierra Leone, was selected as a grantee of the Global Cities Fund for Migrants and Refugees (GCF), the MMC’s instrument to channel international funding directly to cities to implement inclusive projects of their own design. With support from the GCF, Sierra Leone is establishing the Climate Resilient Market Hub—a flagship initiative to transform the city’s markets into climate-smart, inclusive, and economically vibrant spaces for migrant women and youth who make up the backbone of Freetown’s economy.

The project will introduce waste-to-energy technology, cold-chain infrastructure, and targeted capacity building to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, mitigate extreme heat, improve working conditions, and strengthen livelihoods. The initiative supports Freetown’s goal of creating 120,000 good green jobs for women and youth by 2028, delivering lasting benefits for people, the economy, and the environment.

Home to 1.3 million residents, Freetown has seen its population nearly double in recent years, driven largely by rural-to-urban migration as internal conflict and climate change have disrupted security and traditional livelihoods. More than a third of residents now live in informal settlements, facing overcrowding, poor sanitation, and unstable incomes—especially women, who make up most informal traders across Freetown’s 42 markets. Yet, Freetown continues to invest in all its residents, turning internal migration into an opportunity for shared prosperity and international migration into a choice.

Check back later for more updates about Freetown’s grant!

Check back later for more updates about Freetown’s grant!