ACCC Project NSC visits ecotourism camp at Tanji

The Project, Adaptation to Coastal & Climate Changes: Responding to Shoreline Changes & its Human Dimensions through Integrated Coastal Area Management (ACCC Project) is a Global Environment Facility (GEF) funded Project, acquired and being implemented by the National Environment Agency (NEA) on behalf of the government of The Gambia. The Project is sub-regional and involves the five countries of Cape Verde, Guinea-Bissau, Mauritania, Senegal and The Gambia. The aforementioned countries are part of the same large marine ecosystem (LME) and virtually share the same coastal and shoreline characteristics, among which is serious coastal erosion. The objective of the project is to develop and pilot a range of effective coping mechanism for reducing the impact of climate change, induce coastal erosion, which shall be achieved through the implementation of activities that fall within the following categories: planning & regulation, regulation of coastal erosion, control of wave impact, conservation of bio-diversity, community sensitisation and support to community livelihoods. 

The implementation of the project in The Gambia commenced in April 2009 with the appointment of a National Project Coordinator; the implementation of activities, however, started in August 2009, under the coordination and direct monitoring of the Project Office at the National Environment Agency. The main activity for The Gambia for 2009 was the construction of an ecotourism camp at the Tanji Bird Reserve as support to the livelihoods of the four coastal communities of Brufut, Ghana-town, Madyana & Tanji; the Camp is expected to be completed by end of February 2010.

The management structure of the project also includes a National Steering Committee (NSC), which serves the decision-making body of the project and also with a monitoring role in ensuring that project activities are implemented as agreed and planned. The NSC as part of its monitoring role, visited the site of the ecotourism camp to see progress of the construction of the Camp. The visitors were generally impressed with the progress of the work and were in particular appreciative of the use of stabilised compressed earth blocks (SCEB) as the main construction material in view of the block's strength and minimal use of sand.

The team that was led by the Director, Inter-Sectoral Network, Ndey S. Bakurin, on behalf of the Executive Director of NEA, included the deputy Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Forestry & Environment, Ms. Sohna Sowe and the Director of the Association of Non-Governmental Organisations (TANGO) Mr. Ousman Yabo. The tour of the site was facilitated by the National Project Coordinator, Mr. Dodou Trawally. At the end of the visit, the team unanimously agreed that more should be done to popularise the use of SCEBs in order to reduce pressure on sand and generally conserve coastal resources, and above all its environmental-friendliness.