Phonix sensitised stakeholders on global warming, climate change

In their quest to fight against climate change and global warming, Phonix The Gambia chapter recently held a one-day capacity building workshop for stakeholders on global warming and climate change, at the Kanifing Municipal Council grounds.

The workshop brought together participants from the media, NAPSA, Go Green Foundation and Gambia Women Environmental Network.

Speaking at the occasion, the Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Forestry, Mr. Lamin Nyabally said the forum was an important opportunity towards sensitising people on the dangers of climate change in our daily lives. This, he added, could cause a serious global warming if not controlled.

"Africa is the hottest continent in the world, if we continue to cut down all the trees; we encourage desertification, which can cause serious warm in our communities. Therefore, it is a social responsibility for each and every one of us to ensure that the trees are protected for our own safety," he said, adding that the EU and Japan are already helping to ease dangers of climate change in Africa and the world at large.

According to him, the EU and Japan are on high gears as far as the planting of trees is concerned, as he put it, climate change is a global concern.

For his part, the Director of Water Resources, Mr. Pa Ousman Jarju said the outcome of the Rio de Jenaro meeting in 1992, will never be materialised if people did not change their attitudes towards their economies.

Jarju called on people to desist from coastal damages, ranging from illegal sand mining to others, so as to prevent coastal erosion, which according to him, will also have great effects on the climatic change and the global warming. He disclosed that as a result of this, D3.4 million is being allocated for the project in order to address the coastal erosion problems.

Other speakers at the forum included Mr. Abdoulie Sanneh, the Director of Forestry who stated that cutting down of trees without replacing them is in itself suicidal.