A stakeholders’ consultation workshop on the Green Climate Fund, GCF, and project implementation took place at the Coral Beach Hotel yesterday.
It was called by the Ministry of Finance and Economic Affairs which is selected by the Gambia government as the national designated authority NDA to the GCF.
The workshop heard presentations from officials of NDA which educated the participants on the whole concept, components and methods of accessing funds as well as eligible criteria.
Participants drawn from NGOs, CBOs and other stallholders split into groups to hear about each other’s capacity needs and priorities in the implementation of the project.
The GCF is the current global funding mechanism created to support the adaptation and mitigation activities of parties to the convention.
Ousman Jarjue, a former environment minister and international environment specialist working in the GCF, advised the NDA and stakeholders that the Gambia is far behind in terms of readiness to tap the huge resources that are available under the project.
However he warned that projects must be based on sound and concrete reliasable and result-oriented concepts and not just mere talk shops or workshops. He said as much as one million dollar can be access nationally under the fund based on its eligibility since the fund globally aims to mobilise 100 Billion dollars.
He said such fund can go a long way to help mitigate climate change in The Gambia.
