UNESCO-NATCOM embark on tree planting exercise in Gambia

The National Commission for United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO-NATCOM) has embarked on a massive tree planting exercise in Gambia.

The organisation is in partnership with the National Environment Agency, Ministry of Agriculture, National Disaster Management Agency ActionAid International, EBAProject, NEA and FAO. The exercise is aimed at preserving the environment.

The project involves planting of various trees including, mangoes, lemon, pawpaw, moringa, cashew nuts and among others. The beneficiaries of the tree planting exercise are among UNESCO’s Associated Schools Project (ASP Net) and UNESCO clubs’ schools including KinderDorf Bottrop Technical Upper and Senior Secondary Schools in Brikama Kombo Central, Brikama Lower Basic School, Tujereng Upper and Senior School and Abuko Upper Basic School.

Mitigating environmental challenges

In her remarks, Maimuna Sidibeh, principal programme officer for UNESCO–NATCOM, said the project is aimed at mitigating environmental challenges in the country like other African countries that encountered environmental challenges.

She said women and youth are more vulnerable to environmental challenges; thus, UNESCO deems it necessary to engage women and youth, especially students and mothers’ clubs to protect the environment.

“Trees are important in giving lives and without trees we cannot breathe. Therefore, we call on partners who are stakeholders in this quest such as NEA, NDMA, EBA, and Department of forest to bring heads and resources together and try to increase the number of tree planting activities in the country,” she said.

Lamin Jarju, programme officer for UNESCO, noted that trees are significant in ensuring regular rainfall. He said countries without many trees hardly experience rainfall, citing Mauritania as a country that hardly gets rainfall owing to the lack of many trees.

“Before, The Gambia used to have six months of rainfall, but we are not having that now because of the frequent cutting of trees. The Gambia has many laws that safeguard trees. The Forestry Act states that no one should cut trees and if someone is doing so, he or she should take permission from the Department of Forestry,” he said.