By Madiba Singhateh
The Gambia Government through the National Environment Agency is hosting the Steering Committee meeting of the UNEP/GEF Medium Size Project (MSP).
The meeting brought stakeholders from the sub-region to harness the Great Green Wall Initiative (GGWI) for a sustainable and resilient Sahel. The objectives of the meeting were to provide an overview of the project’s evolution, development, and vision.
The GGWI aims to restore 100 million hectares of currently degraded landscapes across the Sahel, stretching from Senegal in the west to Djibouti in the east by 2030.
The Minister of Environment Climate Change and Natural Resources, Rohey John Manjang, said the realisation of a healthy ecosystem is essential to the sustainable development of The Gambia, which supports critical sectors of the country’s economy, including agriculture, fisheries, tourism, and forestry, whose sources of livelihoods are dependent on the environment. She said their participation in the UNEP/GEF regional project will contribute to achieving global environmental goals by combating desertification and promoting sustainable land management; as well as fostering cross-border cooperation allowing The Gambia to share/gain knowledge and resources with neighboring countries to tackle shared environmental challenges.
“Global warming and climate change impacts are being felt through erratic weather patterns, which could eventually be more severe in frequency, rising sea levels, and increases in severe weather events hitting agriculture, water resources, and coastal zones. Increased deforestation, unsustainable agricultural practices, and urbanization continue to accelerate land degradation, reducing productivity and compromising food security,” she said.
Minister Manjang said the Gambia Government recognised the challenges and that’s the reason they will support the agenda of the Great Green Wall Initiative. She added that the government of the Gambia has committed $7,850,000 from its GEF STAR allocation for the development of the child project entitled: Restoration of an Ecological Corridor for Forest Biodiversity Conservation and Ecosystem Services to support implementation of the Great Green Wall in The Gambia.
She said The Gambia will be improving 38,000 hectares of terrestrial protected areas to reflect the project’s commitment to establishing an ecological corridor and enhancing existing protected area management. She added that they will restore 43,000 hectares of land and ecosystems as a testament to the project’s alignment with the Great Green Wall Initiative. She maintained that they will be putting 36,000 hectares of landscapes under improved practices; underscoring the project’s aim to promote sustainable land management across The Gambia’s rural farming landscapes.
Minister Manjang said the project aims to benefit 795,000 people, with a higher proportion of females (460,000) than males (335,000), reflecting its commitment to social inclusion and gender equity.
The director of NEA Dawda Badjie, Pr. Daouda Ngom, the Minister for the Environment and Ecological Transition, Republic of Senegal, Mr. Adamou Bouhari – the Regional Coordinator for the UNEP/GEF Great Green Wall, and Mr. Ibrahima Sow, the Regional Coordinator for Africa, Global Environment Facility also spoke during the gathering.
