One of the major environmental problems The Gambia
is facing is the degradation of the forests, Mr Malick Bah said recently while
deputising for the executive director of the National Environment Agency (NEA)
at a local hotel in Kololi.
He was speaking at the beginning of a two-day inception workshop on Community-based Sustainable Dry-land Forest Management project organised by the Department of Forestry in collaboration with the Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO) and the NEA.
Environmental degradation remains a major concern which is why the government endorsed the preparation and implementation of the forest management project, Mr Bah said.
He added that the project is in line with the government’s Vision 2020 and the Gambia Environmental Action Plan adopted to address pressing environmental issues.
Mr Bah said the project provides a long-term vision and direction for sustainable development, and balancing economic growth with effective environmental and natural resources management.
“The environmental importance of forests is only one aspect of its importance to man,” he said, adding that the forest plays a critical role as a source of livelihood and food security for both mankind and animals.