By: Fatou Krubally
The Gambia yesterday opened a four-day Global Environment Facility (GEF) Expanded Constituency Workshop for Sahel and Coastal West African countries.
The meeting brought together representatives from 15 nations, civil society groups, and development partners to address urgent environmental challenges.
The workshop, held at the Coco Ocean Hotel in Bijilo, was officially opened by Deputy Chief of Staff at the Office of the President, Alieu Loum, on behalf of President Adama Barrow. Senior government officials, the GEF Secretariat, and regional delegates were in attendance.
In his keynote remarks, Dr. Dawda Badjie, Executive Director of the National Environment Agency (NEA) and GEF Operational Focal Point for The Gambia, described the country as one of the ten most climate-vulnerable nations globally. He warned that coastal erosion and land degradation continue to threaten livelihoods despite The Gambia’s negligible contribution to global emissions.
“Our coastlines, including Banjul, face severe erosion while nearly 30 percent of our land is degraded. Hosting this workshop is both a responsibility and a privilege. It places The Gambia at the centre stage of regional conversations on managing shared ecosystems and building resilience,” Dr. Badjie said.
He highlighted ongoing GEF-supported projects such as the Great Green Wall initiative, the Urban Resilience Project in Greater Banjul, mangrove restoration, and plastic waste reduction.
Representing the GEF Secretariat, Dr. Mohamed Imam Bakar said the workshop provides an important space for dialogue. “We want to hear your challenges and explore solutions together. Building relations and breaking silos is key,” he noted, stressing that GEF funding is catalytic and must be complemented by national ownership.
Also speaking, Bubacarr Zandy Jallow, Deputy Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Environment, Climate Change and Natural Resources, warned of rapid coastal erosion. “In some areas, the coastline is retreating by one or two meters a year. This is not an abstract statistic; it is the literal erosion of the ground beneath our capital city,” he said.
The Expanded Constituency Workshop is expected to strengthen cooperation among Sahel and coastal countries in tackling climate change, biodiversity loss, and land degradation.
As discussions continue, Gambian officials urged delegates to turn commitments into concrete actions. “We cannot depend on projects forever. The resources given must leave a landmark for future generations,” Dr. Badjie cautioned.
The post Gambia Hosts Sahel Climate Change Workshop appeared first on .
This article highlights The Gambias urgent climate challenges and the importance of regional cooperation. The focus on GEF projects and national ownership is inspiring, but I wonder how effectively these initiatives will translate into long-term resilience.
Haha, The Gambia truly is *the* center of the climate conversation, at least according to Dr. Badjie! Its great theyre hosting the workshop – better to face the erosion together than argue about it over tea. Those GEF projects sound exciting, though I hope the Great Green Wall keeps growing faster than my phone battery on a full days work! And Dr. Imam Bakar is right, breaking silos is key – maybe start with the silo between the NEA and the GTSC regarding those *abandoned* toilets mentioned elsewhere? 😉 Dr. Badjies caution about not becoming *entirely* project-dependent is wise, though I suspect future generations will judge us harshly regardless. Lets hope the dialogue leads to actions faster than the retreating coastline!
Haha, The Gambia truly is *the* center of the climate conversation, at least according to Dr. Badjie! Its great theyre hosting the workshop – better to face the erosion together than argue about it over tea. Those GEF projects sound exciting, though I hope the Great Green Wall keeps growing faster than my phone battery on a full days work! And Dr. Imam Bakar is right, breaking silos is key – maybe start with the silo between the NEA and the GTSC regarding those *abandoned* toilets mentioned elsewhere? 😉 Dr. Badjies caution about not becoming *entirely* project-dependent is wise, though I suspect future generations will judge us harshly regardless. Lets hope the dialogue leads to actions faster than the retreating coastline!
Haha, The Gambia really is *the* climate action center! Dr. Badjies enthusiasm is contagious, and those GEF projects sound fantastic. But lets be real – hope the Great Green Wall grows faster than my phone battery! And breaking silos? Maybe start with the NEA and GTSC silo regarding those *abandoned* toilets! 😉