Hinna Camara
DIPPA KUNDA – The Kotu Stream area, a recognised environmental flashpoint in The Gambia, is at the centre of a major restoration effort. While a large-scale project aims to mitigate severe, long-standing issues, local leaders and residents highlight that persistent illegal dumping challenges the area’s recovery.
The region grapples with severe flooding, heavy pollution from untreated sewage and solid waste, and habitat degradation. In response, the World Bank-funded West Africa Coastal Areas (WACA) Resilience Investment Project II is actively implementing interventions.
Progress Meets “Attitudinal” Resistance
Mariama Drammeh, Ward of Councillor Dippa Kunda, explained that settlements around the stream have long faced difficulties with waste and flooding. She noted that since the WACA interventions began, “those challenges have reduced”.
However, despite these improvements, Ms Drammeh stressed that a significant challenge remains. Although dumping has been curtailed, some residents continue to dispose of waste in the stream.
“Attitudinal problem is an issue here,” Ms Drammeh stated. “People need to change their attitudes when it comes to managing waste in this country”.
This behaviour continues despite warnings, signs prohibiting dumping, and an established hotline (1144) for reporting offenders. Ms Drammeh explained that illegal dumping often occurs at night and can be exacerbated when the Municipal Council’s waste collection trucks break down. She noted that people dump waste in the stream because they feel they have “nowhere else to go”.
She pointed out that providing Ward Council with motorcycle trucks could help alleviate the challenges of trash collection. She mentioned that one of the reasons people continue to dump waste in the stream is that the Council’s trash collection trucks often struggle to navigate the bad roads and reach some households within the communities.
In a troubling wake-up call, environmental officials have sounded the alarm on the Kotu Stream, where pollution is wreaking havoc on the delicate balance of nature. Omar Sey, the Director of Technical Services at the National Environment Agency (NEA), painted a stark picture of the situation, stating, “The deterioration we are witnessing is primarily due to the unchecked discharge of wastewater and the careless dumping of solid waste along the banks.”
The stream, once a lifeline for local ecosystems, now harbours a cocktail of harmful substances. Sey elaborated, “These pollutants, be it wastewater or organic detritus, break down into harmful chemicals that sully the very essence of our water.” This contamination doesn’t stop at the banks; it creeps downstream, affecting not just the stream itself but also the surrounding soil and water resources.
The implications are dire, stretching beyond the environmental realm into the lives of people and wildlife. “Humans, plants, animals, and aquatic organisms alike face heightened risks as these toxins seep through their habitats,” Sey warned. As the community grapples with this pressing crisis, the need for urgent action has never been clearer. The Kotu Stream, a vital artery of life, is calling for help, and it’s up to all of us to respond.
According to him, some residents are discharging wastewater directly into the stream, while others are disposing of solid waste in the waterway, particularly in nearby residential areas. He noted that these actions contribute to the contamination of the stream, as waste is carried from one point to another.
Sey noted that the National Environmental Agency (NEA) has been actively conducting monitoring and enforcement activities to tackle this issue. Between October 6 and 14, the agency carried out a significant enforcement operation, supported by the WACA project, during which 161 environmental cases were recorded. Among these cases, 107 involved violations related to wastewater management, while 54 pertained to solid waste. Inspectors issued 118 improvement notices and referred 23 cases for prosecution, resulting in 17 formal charges.
Haruna Cham, a representative of the Social Development Special WACA Project, explained that the project has conducted extensive sensitisation efforts, reaching over 30,000 individuals in the intervention area. These efforts included various awareness campaigns focused on environmental management, disaster response, and contingency planning. Trained community volunteers have been conducting house-to-house awareness sessions, and communities have developed contingency plans to respond to emergencies, such as flooding.
He also mentioned that the WACA project collaborates with partner institutions like the National Environment Agency (NEA) to monitor and enforce environmental regulations, including measures against littering.
A History of Environmental Decline
According to the Alkalo of Dippa-Kunda, Sorahta Sohna, the stream is severely contaminated due to illegal dumping and direct discharge of untreated sewage from nearby households and businesses. “This pollution has resulted in the loss of biodiversity and the degradation of natural flood barriers, such as mangrove forests,” he said.
Mataku Sillah, an elderly woman who has lived by the stream most of her life, reminisced about its past beauty. “It was not always like this; it used to be clean,” she said. “You could even see the fish swimming and children playing, because the water was clear. We washed our dishes and did our laundry in the stream”.
The Human Cost of Pollution
Today, the reality is starkly different. Residents often describe a “terrible odour” that emanates from the stream when too much waste is dumped. Fatou Cessay, 55, expressed frustration about how people throw garbage into the water whenever it rains, which contributes to the smell and flooding around their home.
“This year is better,” Fatou noted, “but last year we experienced so much flooding that sometimes my mother and children had to seek shelter at a neighbour’s compound at night”.
The environmental instability has caused severe anxiety for locals. Another neighbour, Isatou Drammeh, 60, recounted a harrowing experience during a severe rainstorm where the downpour soaked their livestock, leaving them “shivering and stressed”.
“Our rice crops, which we worked so hard to cultivate, were flooded and often ruined,” she lamented, adding that the events instilled a “deep sense of anxiety about the future of their livelihood”.
Severe Flooding and Displacement
Residents have reported that flooding is severe enough to displace families. Fatou Cessay, a 55-year-old resident, noted that during the previous year, flooding was so intense that her mother and children occasionally had to seek shelter at a neighbour’s compound at night.
Residents expressed frustration that people throw garbage into the water, specifically when it rains, a practice that contributes to flooding around their homes.
Looking Forward
Despite the hardships, there is optimism regarding the ongoing work. Ms Drammeh expressed satisfaction with the WACA project’s plans and said she looks forward to the compensation component, hoping it will help “people live with integrity”.
The restoration effort aims to combine engineering solutions, nature-based strategies, and community involvement to transform the Kotu Stream area into a safe and sustainable urban environment.
