The Ministry of Environment Climate Change and Natural Resources (MECCNAR) launched a nationwide tree planting exercise with the aim to restore degraded forest and agricultural landscapes with climate resilient plant species.
The exercise is being spearheaded by the Large Scale EcoSystem Based Adaptation Project EBA under the Ministry of Environment Climate Change and Natural Resources.
The six years project funded by Green Climate Fund (GCF) and the United Nations Environmental Program UNEP aims to develop a climate resilient natural resource based economy and build the climate resilience for communities and facilitate the development of a sustainable green economy.
The exercise will target 250 farmers at various communities across three regions of the country.
Addressing the media at the launching ceremony, Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Environment Mbye Jabang said EbA project is the flagship climate change project for the Gambia at policy level the government has committed in making sure one million trees are planted to tackle the effects of climate change.
He said the adaptation component of the project will help improve and restore degraded lands into forest parks as well as help farmers get enough seedlings to plant more trees.
“We will now transition from tree planting to tree growing. I urge all Gambians to plant a tree. We have experts within the region to assist communities. We need to invest in our natural resources. If we have a rich natural resource base then we are secure, let us make sure the trees we plant grow” he concluded.
EBA project manager Dr. Malanding Jaiteh said; “We declared August as the month of nationwide tree planting exercise which is part of national efforts to initiate Green Gambia.
“Our project is collaborating with community based organizations and farmers to provide them with tree species that can adapt to climate change especially lime and baobab trees.Trees are very important to Environment and it feeds and protects livestock” Dr. Jaiteh said.
