By: Binta Jaiteh
The Government of The Gambia through the Ministry of Environment, Climate Change and Natural Resources (MECCNAR) launched a million dollars project of the second phase of the Regional West Africa Coastal Area Resilience Project II (WACA ResIP II).
The $40 million project funded by World Bank aims to respond to the climate change challenges.
Speaking during the launching of the project held at Sir Dawda Kairaba Jawara Conference Centre, Bijilo, Hon Rohey John Manjang, the Minister of Environment and Climate Change, said the West African Coastal Area Resilience Investment Project 2 has been initially launched by the World Bank and its partners in 2018 in response to countries request for solutions and Finance to help protect and restore the ecological, social and economic asset of West Africa Coastal Areas by addressing coastal erosion, flooding, and pollution.
“The World Bank financing to the WACA Project amount to the entire global amount is four hundred and ninety-two million out of which forty-five is allocated for the Gambia to be executed in the next five years. The government is pleased to join the WACA Project alongside our neighboring states to promote and implement a shared regional vision for integrated coastal management to build resilience,” she explained.
On his part, Ebrima Jawara, Deputy Permanent Secretary overseeing the position of Permanent Secretary Ministry of Environment, Climate Change and Natural Resources said flooding hits families, businesses, and communities on the emotional physical and financial levels.
“Most recently we have seen that some of us have felt firsthand to impact of floods across the country in July and August 2022, particularly in Banjul, Kololi, Jabang, Brikama, North Bank Region, Central River Region, and Upper River Region. She added that not so long ago these were rare events now they are becoming ever more frequent the devastating result of climate change.
“The project being launched today is designed to take out these problems particularly targeting the densely populated areas. Following various consultations with key stakeholders rehabilitation of the Kotu stream was identified as a priority intervention site,” he added.
He highlighted the official figures that damage caused affected over fifty thousand people with the flood at least seven thousand four hundred becoming displaced.
However, he said the project implementation unit under the Central Projects Coordination Unit of the Ministry of Environment will manage the day-to-day operations of WACA, through implementing partners, based on agreed budgets and smart deliveries.
Seynabou Thiaw Seye, the representative of the World Bank Country Office, added that “This regional program to an amount of two hundred and forty-six million U.S dollars is financing forty million dollars for the Gambia was approved in mid-December and became effective on May second, 2023.
She said it benefits The Gambia, Ghana, and Bissau, and as an ECOWAS country and the overall objective is to manage coastal erosion, flooding, and pollution.
she continued “The Gambia is at the forefront in tackling climate change and associated hazards that are leading to flooding, sea level rise, and increase in coastal erosion.”
