By Nelson Manneh
The National Climate Change Secretariat, National Climate Change Council and the Technical Committee Policy on the Climate was yesterday April 17th 2019, launched at a local hotel in Bijilo.
The policy is aimed at mainstreaming climate change into all development sectors and to improve the coordination of climate change interventions at policy and implementation levels, whilst building resilience on its impact across the nation.
In his opening remarks, Lamin B. Dibba the Minister of the Environment, said the climate change policy was developed and finalized in 2016; that the policy provides comprehensive sectoral strategies and action plans that seek to enhance better coordination of climate change work and related activities in the country, and as well provide opportunities for cooperation and collaboration among stakeholders.
“It is true that our country’s contribution to global greenhouse gas emissions is insignificant, the effect of global warming could have dire consequences on our national development efforts and increase the current challenges we face in alleviating poverty,” he said. The Minister said the Gambia like the rest of the world, has no choice but to deal with increasing climate risks.
“Climate change adaption is fully mainstreamed into the policy framework for disaster management, through the National Disaster Management Policy and the National Disaster Management Act,” he said.
Despite the achievements made in mainstreaming climate policy, the Minister of Environment said there is still need to mainstream the policy into other sectoral policies to ensure collective action in addressing the impacts of climate change.
The United Nations focal person on Climate in the Gambia Alpha A.K. Jallow for his part, said through European Union (EU) support, the Ministry of Environment came up with a climate change policy which is aimed at mainstreaming climate change in all development sectors; adding the policy that is launched is evaluated and adapted by the Ministry of Environment.
“It is a crosscutting policy that is applied to all sectors, and its implementation will be made possible through its technical bodies,” he said.
