The Ministry of Forestry in collaboration with United Nation Development Program (UNDP) has held two- day validation forum on timber and fruits, at a local hotel over the weekend.
It aimed to conserve and improve the forest cover and ensure forest restoration both in the forest parks as well as community forest.
Representing the minister, Lamin Sawaneh, a forestry officer for Central River Region south said forestry mandate to conserve and improve the Gambia’s forestry cover, adding his department deems it necessary to came up with series of initiatives in restoring the remain forest cover.
“The community forestry programmed or approach is meant to hand over responsibilities to the local communities of forestry areas situated at their community forestry programmer,” he said
He added: It also aims to uplift the living standards of the communities engage in community forestry management through benefiting from process emanating from sales of forestry products.”
He said that over 400 community forest areas had been handed over to their respective communities and quit number of communities are at different stages or phases, adding some communities were selling their products but it was neither beneficial to them [communities] nor to the buyers
He said his department’s introduction of market analysis and development to the community forestry activities have seen a shift in forest products marketing in favor of the beneficiary communities because they gain enormous benefits through establishing enterprise their products especially the non-timber forest products.
He also said ,the validation report couldn’t come time better than today for them to discuss this importance and it help them to have more experience for their work and the impact of climate change on what peoples depends today .
Delivering the vote of thanks, Alhagie Jassey, assistant director of Forestry commended the organizers for the validation workshop, saying the activity was timely.
He urged the participants to disseminate the information rightfully at their various communities to ensure the forest is properly preserved from all forms of forest hazards, noting the forest is important as many depend on its for survival.
Author: Saidou S Baldeh