By Fatou Saho
The Gambia Red Cross Society has over the weekend received commendations from the governor of North Bank Region, and individuals for joining the fight against climate change, through its tree planting initiative.
GRCS is known for its emergency relief response and has now taken up a new dimention on crises with their anticipatory action to prevent disaster and had started a tree planting initiative in NBR in 2021 till date.
The region has been recognised as one of the most affected regions by climate change with reports of injuries and death as a result of thurnderstorm.
The regional coordinator of the National Disaster Management Agency, Lamin Saidy, has explained that in 2021, NBR was heavily heat by windstorm especially in the areas that the red cross are planting trees.
Mr. Saidy added: “During that period, around eleven people lost their lives due to the wind storm. So initiatives like this is timely and we will also contribute our quater to ensure that the trees grow and become beneficiary in the future. The Red cross is trying to compliment the effort of the government and for that we commend them”.
Governor Lamin Saidykhan also commended the GRCS and lamented, “ NBR is one of the worst regions when it comes to deforestation. So tree planting exercise is very significant as far as forest cover is concern and if we continue doing this, we hope its survival will increase. We want to see the continuity of this exercise. We hope that red cross continue engaing the youths to do this kind of tree planting across the region.”
Governor Saidykhan urged the youths and elders of the beneficiary communities to monitor and protect the trees.
