(Thursday 24th October 2019 Issue)
Stakeholders
recently validated the Strategic Programme for Climate Resilience (SPCR)
namely- Creating the Enabling Environment in Building Climate Change in The
Gambia.
The
SPCR was developed under the pilot programme on Climate Resilience that was
funded by the Climate Investment (CIF) through African Development Bank.
The
aim of developing a proposal document is to advance detailed bankable project
proposal, as a priority for building resilience against impacts of climate
change in The Gambia.
Salimina
E. Jobe, Director, Central Project Coordinating Unit, who deputised for the
Minister of Environment, said the goal of the project is to help create the right
policy environment, particularly the institutional framework for conducting the
business of addressing huge climate change challenges facing in the country.
Climate
change, he added, has proven to be pervasive and multi-faceted, hence solutions
are of paramount importance towards tackling its impacts.
He
said the terms of references are guiding principles to accomplish the
objectives of their assignment.
To
achieve this overall objective, he maintained that, the AGRER, a Belgium firm
that was contracted by the Ministry to develop the concept note would review
the overall concept and develop a detailed work plan among others.
He
indicated that the team from ACRER will also facilitate and participate in
conducting stakeholder consultations fieldwork so as to collect additional
data, and to ensure that the full projects are developed and reflect the
realities of the country’s climate resilience need.
Jobe
noted that the consultant would also facilitate and lead the organization in
conducting the project proposal inception and build capacity of local staff on
important aspects of the project development and management.
“The
process has been truly participatory as the consultants went around the country
to seek opinions on the various issues that the project would address,” he
stated.
The
project, he added, doesn’t only reflect perspectives but also national
priorities.
Mamour
Alieu Jagne, deputy team leader of ACRER described their working relations with
the Ministry of Environment, as something that has yielded mutual benefits.
He
disclosed that the Ministry has played a pivotal role in supporting the
progress of their assignments as their team had visited most of the
institutions to ensure information are provided to the successful conclusion of
their assignment.
