Stakeholders from key institutions and collaborators from the NGO communities recently validated a research document on energy situation in The Gambia at a workshop on Gambia Renewable Energy Centre (GREC) beside Region One Education office, Old Jeshwang.
Speaking at the ceremony, Joe Bongay, executive secretary of Young Volunteers for the Environment (YVE) The Gambia, said it is part of their plan of activities towards implementing the CLENA Project 2012 and the drive towards clean energy for sustainable development, for which they will organize a workshop to validate its secondary research document on energy situation in The Gambia.
The much-awaited validation workshop brought together the key relevant stakeholders from MOFEN, NEA, BAJ-Gambia and media practitioners to critically review, discuss and validate the secondary findings of the research document and come up with a final document to be adopted by the concern actors or stakeholders of the secondary findings of the document.
He notedgf that YVE-The Gambia believes that partnership with national energy actors or stakeholders like the Ministry of Energy, the National Environment Agency, the Ministry of Forestry and the Environment, the Public Utility Regulatory Authority, Biodiversity Action Journalists Gambia, National Water and Electricity Company and the United Nations Development Programme among others can be useful partners in the development and implementation of energy projects or activities at national level and to mitigate existing problems.
The research document provides basic information, describes challenges and share tips based on experiences and possible developmental strategies with the support information from the Ministry of Energy and its national working partners.
The secondary research study on the energy situation of the countrydocument which was done by team members of YVE-The Gambiaserves as an effort to better understand and share information of the country energy situation, to encourage young people and upcoming local groups that are involved or working in the area of energy to use the document for basic research of their information needs and also on how best they can be more extensively engaged in the process of sustainable energy use, partnership and development.
The draft document was scrutinised by stakeholders including renewable energy and energy efficiency; introduction and review of the YVE-CLENA project and its action plan to concern energy actors or stakeholders for a better understanding and cooperation.
Ms Binta Ceesay, communications officer, said some of expected outcome will determine the effective implementation of the CLENA Project in The Gambia, thus serve as a guiding tools for YVE and other actors to better understand the energy situation, apply recommended practices for the benefits of all and sundry.
He added that the adopted document will be distributed to local groups or CSOs and other relevant stakeholders countrywide to ensure standardization in the implementation of YVE future programmes and activities, particularly CSOs, CBOs unable to access research or lack other access or means of information, to serve as a basic information document for their better understanding and involvement in the promotion of clean and sustainable development in The Gambia.
It would also help in complementing the efforts of the government through its concerned ministries or departments on the issue of energy, climate, environment, etc for a durable sustainable development in The Gambia, support communication and cooperation among national partners of the Ministry of Energy, discuss possible common measures and actions at national level to support networking and learning among the major groups and other energy actors.
