The NFA is a comprehensive and systematic process designed to understand the current state of the country's forests. The assessment will provide stakeholders with crucial information on Forest extent and distribution; forest composition and health; forest resources; forest management practices and threats and pressures.
The NFA include the Technical Corporate Programme (TCP) and Community-Led Biodiversity Conservation.
The goals of the NFA are to provide support to the National Forest Programme to contribute to sustainable natural resources management and increase rural livelihood through improved forestry management and efficient and cost-effective forestry related activities.
In his remarks, Kanimang Camara, focal person for Technical Cooperation Programme on NFA and Community-Led Biodiversity Conservation, revealed that The Gambia has a total forest cover of 480,000 hectares (about 44% of the total land area), but nearly 70% of these forests are degraded.
“The country has primary forests of 243,000 hectares, other naturally regenerated forests of 241,000 hectares and planted forests of 2,000 hectares," he said.
“Desertification and land degradation are major environmental issues faced by The Gambia. Forests in the country play a pivotal role in halting desertification."
However, he said the sector in the country is reported to contribute to about only 1.2 % of the national GDP, from a socio- economic perspective; it holds great significance to rural livelihoods; providing supporting services such as soil formation and conservation and regulating services e.g. water and climate regulation.
"With the expansion and consolidation of the Participatory Forest Management concepts, coupled with massive harvesting of forest products targeting specific high value trees (rose wood) in the last 10 years, real- estate and infrastructural development such as roads and electric facilities network, a new forest inventory to update the current status of the resources has become necessary to support evidence based decision making for sustainable natural resources management and effective planning."
He recalled that in the past 3 decades, three national forest inventories were carried-out in 1981/82, 1997/98 and 2009/10 with assistance from various donor funded forestry projects including FAO.
Bintou Gassama, deputy permanent secretary at the MECCNAR described the forest as the lifeblood of the planet, particularly the Gambia.
"The forests provide us with clean air and water; regulate our climate; support biodiversity, and offer essential resources like timber and non-time forest products among others."
"They are also crucial for the livelihoods of countless communities, providing income, food security and have cultural significance as well," she said.
Protecting and sustainably managing the forest, she said, is not just an environmental imperative but also an economic, social and cultural necessity.
"This NFA is more than just a survey; it is an investment in our future. It is a critical tool for informed decision-making," DPS Gassama said.
She added: "The NFA will be conducted using remote sensing, field survey and data analysis."
Almami Dampha, project lead coordinator MRV Forest, Ministry of Environment, Climate Change and Natural Resources, reminded forestry officials that their work requires commitment and dedication to ensure both smooth implementation of projects and develop forest cover.
