By Yunus S Saliu
The Citylink Ostend-Banjul, an EU-funded project on Saturday, 5th August 2023 planted additional one thousand varieties of trees in Banjul City.
The tree planting exercise was meant to save the city below sea rise level, an initiative launched in 2020 and consistently progressing since.
Commenting on the exercise, Abdou Aziz Dabakh Gaye, the Deputy Mayor of Banjul City Council, underscored the importance of the tree planting and cleaning exercise while commending the Citylink Ostend-Banjul project for the good initiative.
The Communication Officer for the Citylink Ostend-Banjul project, Ms. Annette Camara, said the only way they can beat the heat and fight global warming, and protect the coastal land is by planting, protecting, and preserving trees.
The greening component of Banjul does not only look at tree planting on the beach, but it also looks at tree planting within the inner city and mangrove trees in the Tanbi wetland. “We have planted 10,000 mangroves in two sets at Tanbi Wetland in Banjul. Nonetheless, we have also planted 300 trees within the corridors of Banjul,” she stated.
She noted that in their latest tree planting exercise they planted 3,500 trees, to continue with another 5000 coconut trees in different species, including Casuarina and moringa.
However, she said the project’s dedication to sustainability extends beyond mere planting, and various steps have been taken to ensure the long-term well-being of the trees and the community.
The field supervisor for cleaning Banjul, Mbuguma IsmailaJeng, said the tree planting would protect against sand erosion and help mitigate the sea level rise.
He outlined some key initiatives implemented under the project which include Water Conservation Measures and ensuring trees receive adequate hydration. The project has provided six water tanks to maintain low water pressure from the taps, making water utilization more efficient.
He alluded to it that the project is also introducing 1000 other varieties of trees, such as Moringa, Silk Cotton tree, Baobab, and Casuarina, to enrich the coastal landscape further.