By Aminata Kuyateh & Fatou Bojang
President Adama Barrow on Tuesday launched the Gambian component of the West Africa Coastal Areas Resilience Investment Project WACA, a project designed to strengthen the resilience of the targeted communities and areas in coastal Western Africa.
In his statement at the event, Barrow disclosed that the Gambian project costing US$5M, targets flooding and pollution in the Kotu Stream, one of the most vulnerable areas in the Greater Banjul Area, as part of a wider regional coastal protection effort in West Africa.
The president said the Livelihoods Improvement Programme will support about 4,000 beneficiaries over two years, with the fourth wave alone disbursing US$1.6 million to 1,500 people.
“The programme focuses on entrepreneurs, livelihood groups, and farmer-based organisations along the Kotu Stream, with priority given to women, youth and persons with disabilities to protect livelihoods, strengthen food security and support climate adaptation.”
The president expressed appreciation to the World Bank and the International Trade Centre for their support and reaffirmed his administration’s goal of moving The Gambia toward middle-income status.
He said the project aligns with national development plans and has already supported key policy instruments, including the country’s first Climate Change Bill, National Land Policy, Rainwater Harvesting Policy, and National Disaster Risk Management Policy, while also strengthening institutional capacity.
Barrow urged beneficiaries to take ownership of the programme and use the opportunities responsibly, noting that resilience is built through empowerment and dignity, not financial support alone.
He also reaffirmed his government’s commitment to a resilient and inclusive economy and officially declared the landfill and water project launched, calling on stakeholders to work together to protect coastal communities.
Masanneh Landing Ceesay, project coordinator at WACA, said the Kotu Stream serves as a natural drainage system for 11 communities, supporting more than 200,000 people and sustaining farming, fishing, tourism and small-scale businesses.
However, he said the area faces increasing flooding, environmental degradation, and climate change pressures that threaten livelihoods and ecosystems.
According to the project coordinator, under the programme, beneficiaries will receive support through training, mentorship, business advisory services, grants, and access to finance to promote climate-smart and sustainable enterprises.
Matarr Touray, from the World Bank, said the livelihoods component complements planned infrastructure works, including the restoration and reprofiling of the 11.2-kilometre Kotu Stream, with studies and designs expected to be completed by the end of 2026.
