Africa-Press – Gambia. The Gambia has taken a major step towards strengthening its environmental resilience with the validation of the Great Green Wall RECOSERV project, a national initiative aimed at restoring degraded ecosystems, conserving biodiversity, and addressing the growing impacts of climate change.
The validation workshop, held on Thursday at the Sir Dawda Kairaba Jawara International Conference Centre, Bijilo brought together key stakeholders, including government officials, international partners, traditional leaders, women, and youth groups. Organized by the National Environment Agency (NEA) in collaboration with UNEP, the forum marked a crucial stage in finalizing the draft project document before its full implementation.
In his opening statement, Lamin Kamara, Director of Intersectoral Services at NEA, stressed that the initiative was part of a wider African-led ambition to combat desertification and restore 100 million hectares of degraded land by 2030. He noted that “the challenges of climate change, land degradation and poverty are a shared burden that demand collective solutions.”
NEA Executive Director, Dr. Dawda Badjie, described the Great Green Wall as “an imaginary wall with real solutions,” emphasizing that environmental decline is caused by human activity rather than divine will. “We owe it to ourselves and future generations to restore balance to our ecosystems,” he told participants, urging collaboration across regions and communities.
Deputy Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Environment, Climate Change and Natural Resources, Madam Bintou Gassama Jammeh, reaffirmed the government’s commitment, highlighting that the project aligns with national development priorities and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). She underscored the importance of building climate resilience, creating green jobs, and empowering youth and women in the process.
The RECOSERV project, officially titled “Restoration of an Ecological Corridor for Forest Biodiversity Conservation and Ecosystem Services”, will focus on reversing deforestation, soil erosion, and the impacts of rising sea levels on coastal communities.
As stakeholders endorsed the draft document, the validation marked a decisive moment in Gambia’s environmental journey. With regional cooperation and strong local ownership, the Great Green Wall RECOSERV project promises to transform degraded landscapes into sources of livelihood, sustainability, and hope for generations to come.
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