(Thursday, 12th March 2020 Issue)
Kunta
Kinteh Island is one of the most visited tourist attractions in The Gambia. The
island which sits on the mouth of the River Gambia annually welcomes a number
of visitors, who descend on the island to see remnants of the infamous Atlantic
slave trade. It was in 2003, when the historical island was awarded World
Heritage status thanks to the significant role it played during the
transatlantic slave trade.
In
recent years, the century-old historical relic is on the spotlight for a number
of reasons. But one important attention is continues to gain these day is its
fast depleting nature due to sea erosion.
As
reported in Wednesday’s edition of The Point, the National Assembly Select
Committee on Tourism, Arts, Culture, Youth and Sports recently visited the site
as part of their oversight functions to visit institutions under its purview.
On arrival what they saw on the ground leaves much to be desired. The threats
of sea erosion are visible prompting lawmakers to amplify their calls for
concerned authorities to act fast to save the island from
collapse/sinking.
We
therefore re-echo that call for the Ministry of Tourism, Arts, Culture and the
National Centre for Arts and Culture (NCAC) to act quickly and put in place
contingency measures to put confront the sea erosion.
Kunta Kinteh Island is our national treasure.
It is therefore a race against time to rescue our historical island from
sinking.
We
should always bear in mind that historical sites are national assets. Once they
are damaged, they are irrecoverable. More importantly, countries must take a
special interest in the preservation of historical sites. We should take a cue
from countries like Senegal, Ghana and Egypt, which put a lot of emphasis in
protecting and restoring historical relics.
It
is clear now that the sea erosion threatening the island is an indication that
climate change is real. The rise in global sea levels is forcing wave energy
closer to the shore and cliff faces, leading to increased rates of coastal
erosion in areas where cliffs are composed of soft rocks.
“You
don’t stumble upon your heritage. It’s there, just waiting to be explored and
shared.”
Robbie
Robertson