Deputy
Governor of Lower River Region, Kebba Darboe said that environmental protection
is everyone’s responsibility as it is a cross cutting issue.
He
thanked the NEA for dripping down to grassroots level with such environmental
education and awareness initiatives, and for cementing the already
collaboration between the Governor’s office and the NEA.
The
awareness crusade also availed the team to sensitize the people through focus
group discussions with regional stakeholders including the office of the
Governor, Area Council, Chiefs, Alkalolus and community members. The
discussions covered Anti-Littering Regulation, Ban on plastic bags order 2015,
Tree Felling, illegal sand mining, Bush fires and other sustainable
environmental protection schemes
The
agency has tailored the awareness programme to suit the advocacy and awareness
needs of local communities due to their inadequate knowledge on environmental
issues, and this has created a dire need to embark on such massive
sensitisation crusade in an effort to trigger attitudinal change in the people
who are victims but also contribute to the deletion of our beloved environment.
Chief
executive officer of Mansakonko Area Council, Pa Ceesay reaffirmed the
council`s readiness and willingness at all times to collaborate and work with
the agency on all spheres of our environmental dispensation with his region.
He
appealed to the NEA to help find out a solution to an expired fertilizer being
stored at a place where the council wanted to implement a six (6) million Euro
project through the Youth Enterprise Project (YEP) by establishing a service
centre in the regions that will promote youths and environmental
considerations. According to him, the council will continue to assist and
facilitate some of the activities of the agency within the region.
Mr
Ceesay advocated for the removal of the expired fertilizer that is stored in
one of their buildings that is currently exposing health threat in the whole
area. He further called on the Government of the Gambia to remove the expired
fertilizer that has been in stock for the past four years as an effort to avert
the threats of this exposure.
Programme
officer for environmental education and communication at NEA, Sheikh Alkinky
Sanyang disclosed that plastic bag pollution rendered severe environmental and
health threats to humans, livestock and the marine eco-system. He said due to
its adverse effects and uncompromising hazards, the Government of the Gambia
banned the use, production and sale of plastic bags in the country in July
2015.
He
told the gathering and keen listeners that the country needs the blessing
support and collaboration of all Area Councils and Municipalities in an effort
to collectively effect the ban on plastic bags that find their way into our
sustainable livelihood support systems. He further disclosed that Plastic bags
do not decompose for many years and therefore has the potential to destroy soil
nutrients and structure, and affect tree-roots penetration thus threatens
productivity.
