Recently, the Foni Jarrol District Forest Committee has banned the cutting down of big trees and charcoal production in their bushes with the intention to discourage deforestation through an action-oriented approach. The move also discourages farm clearing by seasonal farmers without replacement of trees where cut.
The District Forest Committee also went with a series of sensitization initiatives for those involved to stop the act.
The committee is set to ensure that the forest is maintained for the interest of mankind and also for many animals which use the forest as a habitat, if not, there is the belief that in three years’ time, there would be no trees and it would be difficult to cope with the deforestation situation by the communities.
However, after the sensitization programs, there is the belief that many have entirely stopped the act by obeying the district forest committee’s advice. Yet still, the Southern Senegal Region of neighboring Cassamance has also planned to end cutting trees during the rainy season for farming without replacement.
Furthermore, the District Forest Committee has called on the people to join them in protecting the country’s bushes from deforestation to avoid climate change, which is causing a lot of challenges to the Gambia’s agricultural sector.