Natcom Launches Project On Climate Change, Environment And “Sand Watch”

FOROYAA Newspaper (Serrekunda)

By Awa B.Bah

22 April 2011

The Gambia UNESCO Associated Schools (SAPnet) and The National Commission for UNESCO on Tuesday, the 19th of April,2011, organized a two day National Training workshop on climate change and environmental awareness for UNESCO ASPnet school coordinators and students at the Jerma Beach.

The theme of the workshop raises pertinent global concerns and The Gambia UNESCO Associated School Project Network and NATCOM is of the view that the time is overdue to enlighten the masses on environmental issues.

In his welcoming statement, the national coordinator for UNESCO ASPnet and principal programme officer NATCOM,Yahya Al-Matarr Jobe said the day marks the beginning of the implementation of a UNESCO funded Project for The Gambia Associated Schools Project Network (ASPnet) for the 2010 -2011 biennium. The project, he said, focused on three areas; namely themes of Education for Sustainable Development such as: environmental education; climate change and the “Sand watch” project which seeks to complement and enhance other national projects being undertaken in this area by the Government of The Gambia, the National Environment Agency (NEA), Ministry of Tourism and Culture as well as other NGO and CBO initiatives. The themes are:

i) Promoting Environmental Awareness

ii) Climate change (mobilising ASPnet schools to adapt to climate change)

iii) Sand watch

“This National Training Workshop on “sand watch”, climate change and environmental awareness for ASPnet school coordinators and students in the Greater Banjul schools; and the launching of the “sand watch” project in ASPnet schools around the coastal region and registration of ASPnet schools under the “Sand watch” Foundation marks the beginning of the implementation process”,said jobe

This will be followed by a similar workshop for the remaining ASPnet Schools upcountry to be held at Mansakonko in May 2011, he remarked.

Activity 2 School-based waste management: Production of waste bins (inscribed with UNESCO and ASPnet logos) for ASPnet schools to promote a healthy school environment.

Activity 3 Green School Environment Project: Planting of fruit trees in school environments and provision of gardening materials to provide shelter, food and prevent soil erosion.

Activity 4 School based awareness-raising programme, sensitization through symposia; essays; debates; arts work; theatrical performance etc on (a) Climate change,( b) environmental awareness and c) “Sand watch” .Jobe revealed that the project is multifaceted and aims to building the capacity of teachers and students from twenty-two associated schools (regions 1 -6) in The Gambia so that they can sensitize their communities about climate change, environmental awareness, coastal protection and education for sustainable development.. He said It is proposed that NATCOM and the Associated Schools network, in collaboration with the Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education, the National Environment Agency, the Gambia Tourism Authority and hoteliers will monitor the project.

In her statement, the regional director region one education directorate, Mrs Anna John Ceesay said Climate change and sustainable development are global challenges and have attracted a lot of attention in recent years. The current trends show increasing extremities in weather patterns such as global warming, heavy rains, floods and Tsunamis. Some species and their habitats are on the decrease and chances for ecosystems to adapt are gradually diminishing. These are consequences of undesirable environmental practices, values and habits that are human-induced and are negatively affecting nations.

Given these facts it is increasingly evident that the issues of climate change and sustainable development are interrelated and therefore need to be addressed concurrently to prevent poor health, decrease agricultural activities and poverty, she said. “An effective attack on poverty and the effects of climate change require enhancing comprehensive action that encompasses both issues. We cannot fight climate change without considering the rising energy needs of poor people and countries, nor can we effectively address global poverty without accounting for the impacts of climate change on agriculture, disease patterns, and violent weather events, all of which particularly impact on both the developed and developing countries”, Ceesay remarked.

‘Taking into consideration that school children can be agents of change in creating awareness and championing appropriate environmental behaviors at the school, home and community levels and given the information that is provided In the school curriculum at the basic and secondary education levels, enhance with the establishment of environmental clubs and competitions in schools, I am optimistic that there will be visible progress in due course “she said.

“On behalf of the Ministry of Basic and secondary Education I would like to state that so far 22 schools countrywide are in this ASPNET programme and 13 of these are in Region I. I therefore without reservation acknowledge with profound gratitude the support of NATCOM to schools in the ASPNET initiative”, Madame Ceesay concluded.

In his opening statement, the executive director National Environment Agency, Mr.Momodou B.Sarr said all efforts by all organisations to highlight the importance of climate change issues on the lives and livelihoods of people in The Gambia are always very commendable. He said mangroves stabilized sand and soil, recycle nutrients, absorb and break down waste products. These mangroves also contribute significantly to the economics of coastal countries by providing opportunities for the harvesting of marine resources such as oysters and increasingly for tourism. There are also several protected areas of great importance for biodiversity within the coastal zone, but most importantly perhaps over 52% of the entire Gambian population actually live within 100 kilometres from the atlantic coast, he added.

He remarked, “It should therefore be of major concern to note that several scientific assessments including a recent report by the Intergovernmental panel on Climate Change (IPCC),as well the United Nation Environment Programme (UNEP),have concluded that The Gambia is one of the most vulnerable countries to climate change in Africa” .

He said increased coastal erosion due to climate change is one of the most serious anticipated environmental problems facing The Gambia in the near future. “Although coastal erosion and sedimentation have been a reality in The Gambia in past decades and cannot be attributed solely to the effects of climate change caused by the emission of greenhouse gasses, both processes are however strongly influenced by recent changes in climatic conditions”.

The following climate change scenarios are anticipated for the entire West African subregion including The Gambia:

– increase in mean surface temperature of up to 0.5° C per decade,

– increased vapour-transpiration,

– increased rainfall variability and intensity,

– Accelerated sea level rise of around 1 m per century,

– reduced coastal upwelling resulting from weakening of the Azores trade winds, exacerbated by disruption caused by freshwater plumes of continental origin

Within the coastal and marine zone of The Gambia specifically, the following economic activities will be adversely affected:

– Fisheries will be directly affected with the loss of mangroves which act as spawning, breeding and nursing grounds for a large number of fish species,

– Through changes in sea surface temperature and also the intensity and location of up welling, distribution of marine species will be modified;

– Agriculture will be affected by changes in CO2 atmospheric concentration, temperature and rainfall patterns by modifying the geographical distribution of agro-ecological zones in relation to crop types; permanent flooding from excessive rainfall will mean a loss of agricultural lands in a number of coastal areas;

– In the coastal zones, sea level rise will also induce salinization of fresh surface and ground water;

– Coastal infrastructures such as the Banjul Highway and even the harbour will be at risk from sea level rise, induced coastal erosion and inundation. For the same reasons coastal towns and villages will be threatened and some coastal populations will be displaced;

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