Bo

Bo is one of Sierra Leone’s largest secondary cities and a major service centre for the south. Rapid growth has increased demand for roads, drainage, water, sanitation and solid-waste systems, while inadequate culverts and blocked drains can make neighbourhoods vulnerable during heavy rainfall.

The Resilient Urban Sierra Leone Project includes Bo in a national programme of integrated urban planning, infrastructure upgrading, waste management and disaster-risk reduction. African Development Bank investment in the Three Towns Water Supply and Sanitation Project has also improved water and sanitation services in Bo, Kenema and Makeni. These programmes strengthen both municipal systems and basic infrastructure. For Bo, future growth depends on maintaining those networks and using urban planning to ensure that expanding neighbourhoods remain connected to services rather than increasing the backlog of infrastructure needs.