The governor was speaking during a planting tree exercise in Kuntaya, NBR. The activity was initiated by the Gambia Red Cross Society jointly with the Financial and Technical support of USAID's Bureau for Humanitarian Assistance, and the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies.
The Red Cross Society over the weekend embarked on planting over 2000 seedlings and mangroves in three communities in NBR.
Governor Saidykhan said they would try to ensure continual tree planting in the communities and he would encourage authorities like the chiefs and alkalolu to monitor and protect trees planted to prevent animals and other intruders from destroying them.
As well, he urged members of the community to protect the trees in their interest and for the benefit of future generations.
Research has lent credence to the fact that deforestation has significant environmental consequences. Trees play a crucial role in maintaining the balance of ecosystems and regulating climate patterns.
Lamin Saidy, regional disaster coordinator at the National Disaster Management Agency, said NBR had been seriously hit by windstorms with the loss of 11 lives.
“We will contribute our quota to make sure that these trees are grown and beneficial to the future of our communities,” Saidy promised.
He said the Gambia Red Cross has been trying to complement the work of the government, adding that an important aspect of tree planting is putting in place an afforestation that builds resilience and mitigates the impact of climate change.
Lamin Suwareh, alkalo of Suwareh Kunda in NBR, thanked the Gambia Red Cross for their tree planting initiative, which highlights the importance of forest development in every community.
“Any tree-planting activity that is carried out is beneficial for the future,” he said.“Our minds are always on our forest.”
Junkunda Suwareh, chairperson of the Suwareh Kunda Village Development Community, also emphasised the need for more trees to be planted in the forest and to build fences to prevent intruders from destroying their plants.
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