Scaling nature-based solutions for climate resilient infrastructure

Role: Co-I, Sierra Leone
Project: Director of Research and Training
Affiliation: Sierra Leone Urban Research Centre
ORCID ID: 0000-0002-4829-8032
Email: N/A

Biography Braima Koroma is the Director of Research and Training at the Sierra Leone Urban Research Centre (SLURC) and an expert in environmental management and sustainable development. His work focuses on urban risk, climate resilience, and the governance of informal urbanization, with a strong emphasis on translating research evidence into practical policies and actions. Over the past decade, Braima has advised major international organizations—including the World Bank, African Development Bank, and several UN agencies—on disaster risk management, resettlement frameworks, environmental governance, and climate adaptation strategies. 

He has co-led multiple collaborative research initiatives, such as the African Cities Research Consortium (ACRC), Knowledge in Action for Urban Equality (KNOW), and Urban Africa Risk Knowledge (Urban ARK). These projects have advanced knowledge on urban inequalities, resilience, and inclusive governance, while shaping development practices in Freetown and across Africa. Braima has authored and co-authored numerous peer-reviewed articles, edited volumes, book chapters, and policy briefs that bridge academic research with practical urban solutions. He is also the co-editor of Urban Transformations in Sierra Leone: Knowledge Co-Production and Partnerships for a Just City (UCL Press, 2024). This book highlights innovative approaches to collaborative research and policy engagement, offering critical insights into building just and resilient cities in the Global South. 

Currently, with the African Nature Futures Lab, Braima connects these themes to pressing urban environmental challenges through the Imperial–SLURC Learning Alliance project on Green Infrastructure in Informal Settlements in Freetown, guiding efforts to embed resilience, sustainability, and ecological justice into urban planning and community engagement.