For 27 years, The Gambia has not released an updated State of the Environment Report (SOER), a critical tool for assessing the nation’s environmental health and guiding sustainable development. The last report, produced by the National Environment Agency (NEA) in 1997, stands as the country’s only comprehensive environmental assessment to date. The National Environment Management Act (1994) mandates the NEA to periodically publish an SOER that highlights achievements in environmental protection, identifies future challenges, and outlines strategies for addressing them.
While the Act does not specify intervals, the 27-year gap in reporting suggests a concerning oversight. Given The Gambia’s growing environmental challenges from coastal erosion to biodiversity loss the lack of updated assessments hampers efforts to mobilise resources, measure progress, and address ecological risks effectively. Countries with regular SOERs, such as those in the European Union demonstrate how these reports are vital for securing international funding and driving sustainable development policies. By neglecting this critical tool, The Gambia risks falling further behind in its environmental governance and accountability.
In a 2015 article by The Point newspaper titled ‘Environment: State of Environment Statistics in The Gambia,’ the National Environment Agency (NEA) attributed its inability to produce a new State of Environment Report (SOER) to financial constraints. As of 2024, the second SOER remains unpublished, leaving a significant gap in the country’s environmental policy framework.
The concept of SOERs traces back to the global environmental movement of the 20th century, starting with the 1972 Stockholm Conference on the Human Environment, which emphasised systematic monitoring of environmental issues. The establishment of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) that same year provided a foundation for environmental reporting.
Since 1997, UNEP’s Global Environment Outlook (GEO) has offered a comprehensive framework for countries to align national policies with global trends.
Similarly, the European Union has published SOERs every five years since 1995, highlighting the benefits of consistent environmental monitoring. In contrast, regional initiatives in Africa, such as the Africa Environment Outlook (AEO), have been irregular, with the last report released in 2013, impeding progress toward sustainable development.
SOERs are indispensable for understanding and addressing national environmental challenges. They provide insights into critical issues such as deforestation, water quality, biodiversity loss, and climate change. For The Gambia, an updated SOER could offer data on pressing concerns, including land degradation, deforestation, and climate impacts, which threaten the nation’s sustainability.
Without this information, stakeholders struggle to design effective solutions and align policies with global commitments, such as the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
The 1997 SOER highlighted key issues: alarming deforestation due to agricultural expansion, logging, and fuelwood collection; land degradation threatening agricultural productivity; and biodiversity loss caused by habitat destruction. While these challenges remain, the absence of updated data undermines efforts to address them effectively.
Publishing a new SOER would provide policymakers, international partners, and the public with current insights into environmental trends, enabling data-driven strategies to combat degradation. It would also signal The Gambia’s commitment to sustainable development and its alignment with global environmental standards.
The 27-year lapse in SOER publication is a significant barrier to effective environmental governance in The Gambia. To secure a sustainable future, the NEA must fulfil its mandate under the National Environment Management Act (1994) and establish a regular reporting framework. By learning from global best practices, such as UNEP’s GEO and the EU’s SOERs, The Gambia can strengthen its environmental governance and better address its challenges.
