Earth Observation for Port Impact Assessment in Liberia and Sierra Leone
The GDA Marine Environment and Blue Economy activity supported the World Bank in assessing port-related environmental impacts in Liberia and Sierra Leone
Description
As part of the GDA Marine Environment and Blue Economy activity, Earth Observation (EO) was used to support the World Bank (WB) in assessing the environmental impacts of port development in Liberia and Sierra Leone. The project focused on generating datasets to monitor water quality, model plastic drift, and evaluate potential port-related pressures.
In Liberia, EO products were employed to inform fisheries management and assess pollution risks related to new port infrastructure. The project encountered major data limitations, particularly the lack of reliable annual port operation metrics. To overcome this, the consortium innovatively used open-source data and photo interpretation via Google Earth, successfully adapting to data gaps while maintaining progress toward project goals.
Despite these constraints, the EO-based methods proved highly effective and were positively received by stakeholders. The project not only demonstrated the operational value of EO for environmental impact assessments but also highlighted the importance of building local technical capacity and improving access to higher-resolution satellite data.
The methodologies developed through this use case are now being considered for broader application, with ongoing discussions involving the WB’s West Africa Coastal Areas (WACA) programme.