By Arret Jatta
The National Assembly Joint Committee on Environment and Agriculture has called for the urgent development of a comprehensive national policy to regulate transhumance, warning that the absence of a clear legal framework is worsening farmer-herder conflicts across the country.
Transhumance refers to the seasonal movement of herders and livestock in search of water and pasture. In The Gambia, this often involves cross-border movement from neighbouring Senegal during the dry season.
The recommendation forms part of a report presented in parliament yesterday during the First Ordinary Session of 2026 at the National Assembly in Banjul.
The committee, which probed the activities of transhumance in The Gambia, found that while seasonal livestock movement remains an important livelihood activity, weak regulation and poor enforcement have created serious governance gaps.
According to the committee, there is currently no comprehensive national transhumance policy to guide grazing arrangements, regulate livestock corridors, or clearly assign institutional responsibilities.
“Absence of a national grazing policy, poor enforcement, and institutional gaps” were among the key observations highlighted in the report.
The committee noted that although existing laws such as the Forestry Act, Animal Health Act and other regulations touch on aspects of livestock and environmental management, they do not sufficiently address the growing complexities of cross-border pastoral movement.
It further observed that enforcement mechanisms remain weak, with limited veterinary checks, poor data collection on incoming livestock, and lack of coordination among security agencies.
According to the report, during the committee’s nationwide consultations in the north bank, central river and upper river regions, it heard repeated complaints from traditional leaders, farmers and local authorities about unregulated entry of herders, destruction of crops, livestock theft and deforestation.
In response, the committee recommended that the government, through the Ministry of Agriculture and the Ministry of Environment, Climate Change and Natural Resources, develop a comprehensive national transhumance policy.
The proposed policy, lawmakers said, should be accompanied by a review and update of all relevant legislation to reflect current realities.
The committee called for the establishment of regional and local grazing committees with statutory mandates to regulate grazing areas and manage disputes.
On security matters, the report urged the Ministry for the Interior to deploy joint patrol teams at critical entry points and enhance monitoring of seasonal cross-border livestock movements.
Responding to the committee’s report, the Minister of Environment, Climate Change and Natural Resources, Rohey John-Manjang, said the ministry already recognises the growing link between transhumance and climate change.
She told lawmakers that transhumance considerations are being integrated into the country’s national climate adaptation strategy in recognition of the increasing impact of climate change on pastoral livelihoods.
