By Aminata S Kuyateh
Climate change experts from Ghana, Liberia, Togo, and The Gambia have concluded two days forum on effective ways of achieving national climate action priorities.
The session, which centred on technical strategies, was held at the Ocean Bay hotel from July 14 to 16.
It is part of the MRV for climate action programme supported by Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) and implemented by the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change of the Gambia.
The project will target, among other things, the realisation of a participatory national evergreen roadmap roundtable meeting to be hosted by the ministers of the environment of the four countries.
The Gambia’s Environment and Climate Change Minister, Rohey John Manjang, said the accelerated global climate risk combined with other international and national stressors has created a challenging developmental context, particularly for developing countries like The Gambia.
“Over the years, climate factors continue to affect the wellbeing of Gambians and the economy, with increased flooding causing damages to the roads and other valuable infrastructure, decreasing agricultural production, reducing food security, and threatening the health and wellbeing of our people,” she said.
Minister Manjang said research has shown that all countries “not just the least developed countries need an MRV system across all sectors”.
“It is necessary to establish a national and sub-national framework for the monitoring, reporting, and verification of climate actions, both for greenhouse gas emission mitigation as well as adaptation,” she said.
Lisa Morroquin, from Novasphere, Canada, said the multi-million-dollar programme supported by her country will run until March 2026.
She said the programme will support partner countries to meet their national environmental priorities and capacities to achieve emission reduction and the implementation of long-term solutions for local development challenges.
