Disasters and long-term economic sustainability: a perspective on Sierra Leone

Abstract

Purpose This paper aims to analyse the case of Sierra Leone from the lens of economic impact and underlying causes for concern towards economic sustainability in a post-Ebola recovery phase. Design/methodology/approach Content analysis of literature from various sources, including public and private sectors, non-governmental organisations, multilateral agencies, peer reviewed scholarly articles and media reports was carried out. A total of 77 articles were reviewed. Each document from each source types was then examined for recurring themes that would enhance understanding on the topic addressed here. The NVivo qualitative analysis software was used for coding and extracting of themes from these articles using certain keywords and phrases that relate to the study objectives. Findings The Ebola outbreak in Sierra Leone caused impairment of exports and the capacity to raise revenue via taxes due to significant slump in economic activities. The post-conflict strategy to increase foreign investment had kick-started a gradual recovery, but the Ebola crisis threatened further gains. The crisis also highlighted that the country’s economy depended on foreign investment in a single key sector of iron ore for which global prices fell during Ebola significantly. Although socio-economic impacts of Ebola will linger for some time and health system would have to be vitalised, a sense of optimism was found in many documents. Originality/value The research approach is new and comprehensive in that it looks at post-conflict Sierra Leone in combination with ongoing biophysical and hydrometeorological hazards, and how the Ebola outbreak became completely devastating for the country’s economic sustainability.