In a meeting held in the country, both ministries vowed to partner and collaborate, with the desire of achieving their common goals of protecting the natural resources of the two nations.
The partnership between the two ministries is expected to enable both countries to enhance innovative ideas that would help in managing the forest covers, ecological system and combat forest degradation and other illegal activities in the forests.
Speaking to the press on Wednesday 11 July 2024 at the Sir Dawda Kairaba Jawara Conference Centre in Bijilo, Minister for Environment, Climate Change and Natural Resources, Rohey John Manjang, highlighted that the Senegalese minister's visit to The Gambia was meant to foster collaborative efforts between the two sister ministries.
She explained that after the engagement of both ministers during President Diomaye Faye's visit to The Gambia, she deemed it necessary to further establish a more technical visit to discuss innovative ideas and formalise efforts to manage the forest covers and the ecological systems of both countries.
She noted that the decisions made from the meeting would be recorded and a report written, signed and shared to have a footprint they would rely on.
She reiterated that they wished to make it “a very smart agreement that will be specific and give a clear road map” of all the necessary details and needed resources.
She further narrated that both ministries agreed to have a team that would form a committee whereby both countries would foster a strong relationship by the technicians who would work on concept notes on projects that would be shared between the ministries.
She said there were established projects already initiated and concept notes developed.
The World Bank, she informed, had approved one of the collaborative projects, saying that both Ministries would revive the project together with those working on it.
“We will take it as an opportunity to expand our collaboration and make sure we foster resource mobilisation for the two countries, because we have common environmental interest, common people with so much interaction together,” she stated.
Daoud Ngom, Senegalese Minister for Environment and Ecological Transition, in his remarks, welcomed the invitation that was out to strengthen the coexisting relationship between the two countries.
Both countries shared the same geography, history and culture and there is no Ecological border between them, he averred.
While underscoring the significance of the meeting, Minister Ngom said they would work towards the development of both forests to combat deforestation and forest degradation.
The project and concept notes would help to see how they could amend the management of forest in the border and mechanisms that would be placed to protect the wildlife reserves of Nuimi and Saloum in Senegal.
“We intend to work together with UNESCO to have a trans-transboundary wildlife reserve by placing a committee that we will work together to have a timeline for the discussion of all our needs to make the work easier,” the Senegalese minister said.
He promised his strong collaboration towards the projects, which will benefit both nations.
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