NEA donates to Kartong

The National Environment Agency (NEA), in collaboration with UNDP recently donated some fencing materials to the Kartong community in Kombo South of Western Region, under the Adaptation to Coastal and Climate Change (ACCC) project.

These fencing materials as stated in the signed Memorandum of Understanding, are for the fencing of old sand mine quarry at the village.

The target is to fence an area of about 1km with access gate for the vehicles and peoples’ movement, while at the same time protecting the fragile environment.

The donated materials included 50 bags of Portland cement, two trips of crust stones, 44 galvanised circular poles, eight 12mm rods, six rolls of plastic coated chain link-fence, six 6mm rods, two 4m x 2m vehicular gates, two 2.5m x 2m pedestrian gates, and four gallons of anti-rust paint.

Speaking at the handing over ceremony at the NEA headquarters in Kanifing, Mrs. Ndey Sireng Bakurin, NEA's Director of Inter-Sectoral Network, noted that climate change is one of the most urgent challenges of sustainable development.

She revealed that the magnitude of climate change risks to coastal assets is also large.

Noting that the value of coastal assets exposed to the impacts of climate change is immense, she said, effective approaches to coastal adaptation would have many interdependencies, adding that it is crucial for community participation and behavioural change.

"We also must not postpone addressing major challenges that we know are coming," she said.

"The impacts of climate change are already beginning to be felt in developing world. Whether it is mitigation or adaptation inaction is not an option. Therefore, mainstreaming adaptation is critical," she said.

She added: "Working together through such an initiative, the problem and a possible solution are identified by the people in the community. Our role is to provide the necessary resources to the community that is going to implement. It is simple approach, but it works well because it is built around the obvious fact that each community has its own particular endowment of opportunities and challenges that must be taken into consideration."

For his part, Dr. Almameh Camara of the UNDP said that climate change has devastating impacts on all aspects of human activities, and more so the ecosystem, the good and services that ecosystem provide, which he said, represent the corner stone of our survival as human beings.

Other speakers included Madam Elizabeth Rena-Nyang, the Regional Director of the ACCC and Kanjura B. Sambou, the Second Vice-President of the Kartong Youth Association.