Banjul Climate Caravan visits Kartong sand mining site

Funded by Oxfam International and The Gambia Government, the caravan is made up of a group of climate change and environmental organisations.

  It is spearheaded by Young Volunteers for the Environment (YVE) in partnership with The Gambia Environmental Alliance (GEA), Women and Children Aid-The Gambia (WoCAG). The visit basically is to assess possible impact of sand mining on the community

 The tour is designed to mobilise citizens including stakeholders and indigenous groups across the country by demonstrating solidarity with victims of climate change, showing how everyone is affected by climate change and to task leaders to help in addressing climate crisis in an unprecedented way.

 Incidentally, the visit to Kartong coincided with National Pre-Cop forum.  According to experts, climate change is aggravating, making farming difficult due to flooding; salt water inundation; cyclone damage; desertification and drought; and unseasonal and unpredictable weather.

 These are caused by excessive greenhouse gas emissions and unsustainable exploitation of natural resources particularly from the wealthy industrialised countries.

 Fanta Darboe, National Coordinator for the Banjul Climate Caravan, said the caravan is touring the coastal community to assess the impact of sand mining on the community which is related to climate change.

 “We want to know how sand mining is affecting the residents and their livelihood.” she said.

 She disclosed that after the visit, the caravan would compile a report and present it to the Gambia Government and international organisations.

 This, she added, would help relevant bodies make informed decision and to work unanimously in combating climate change and its related activities.

 The climate activist called on all and sundry to avoid all forms of human activities that could cause climate change and environmental degradation to save the world.

 Welcoming the delegation, Demba Jabang, head of Kartong village, expressed delight to receive the team and to enlighten them on the possible risk of sand mining as well as the effects of climate change on the environment.

 He recalled that sand mining activities started in the area from the first republic, noting that despite its old history, people of the community have never benefitted from it.

  “Therefore, we are here to advocate for environmental protection against sand miners to save the public,” he said.

 Fatou Jeng, Present for Gambia Environmental Alliance and also a member of the caravan, said sand mining has destroyed many farmlands in the area.

 Lamin Jammeh, community environmental activist, told the caravan that sand mining has a negative impact on Kartong’s socio- economic growth, saying it also deters women from practicing agricultural activities to sustain their families.

 The sand mining, he added, could also affect the existence of the village, justifying that the community is only six metres below sea level.

 He argued that continuity of the sand mining could cause a severe disaster in the community.