Environmentalist says most key areas in country now transformed to modern settlement

By: Nyima Sillah

Monday, 6th June was World Environmental Day, Muhammed Hydara, Secretary General of Environmental Alliance said, most of the key areas in the country have been transformed to a modern settlement which has impacted the environmental system of the country.

Speaking to The Voice exclusively, Mr Hydara said “We are causing our own destruction, if the trend continues in few years to come it will have a huge human disaster on us. We knew about the monkey park that used to be a very amazing environment and harbour the Colombo monkeys but today those areas have been transformed into a very modern hall.”

He went on that the area is still tampering with by the government which is very dangerous, noting that it is the same government tampering with the area that still campaigning for the protection of these key resources areas which has led to the escapes of the red monkeys into residence in Bijilo.

In his suggestion, he said, government needs to make sure that some of the key resources that are in the country’s national parks are fully protected and that the policy is not an issue because the country has the most amazing policies but the policies are not reflecting on the ground.

“There is need to put them (police and army) in the picture to understand these policies. Without understanding it, they cannot enforce it even in the communities some of us don’t know these policies. The Gambia is 65years and today we are talking of 50years of environmental day. These are things to talk about by our first president and is the same government definitely is a thing that should be upgraded,” he echoed.

More so, he highlighted, world environment day is a very significant day, it is a day that reminds every one of their responsibility and this year’s team is only one earth. “We should all remember that we have only one earth and live in harmony in nature but still we humans have shattered that balance like exporting natural resources for our own selfish production as well as wealth gain.”