The handover ceremony, held at the WACA Project Office in Abuko, follows a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed between WACA and UTG in October 2025 to support pioneering research along the Koto Stream, an initiative described as critical for sustainable development and climate resilience.
Speaking at the event, WACA Project Coordinator Dr. Muhammed Lamin Sanyang described the occasion as historic, noting that while WACA is largely an infrastructure-driven project with consultants already engaged in engineering designs, deliberate efforts were made to involve Gambian researchers and students.
“This is about sustainable human capacity building,” Dr. Sanyang said. “Under this partnership, UTG staff and students will conduct field research along the Koto Stream, documenting environmental, social, economic and historical issues, while proposing design solutions that will feed directly into the final project design.”
He disclosed that the MoU includes a US$100,000 research grant, part of which was used to procure the equipment handed over to the university, underscoring WACA’s commitment to building local expertise and reducing dependency on external consultants.
Delivering the keynote address, the Minister for Environment, Climate Change and Natural Resources, Hon. Rohey John Manjang, expressed gratitude to Allah and commended the national leadership, describing President Adama Barrow as a strong champion of the WACA Project.
The minister stressed the importance of investing in Gambian institutions and empowering local researchers to lead critical national studies, particularly in addressing persistent flooding and environmental degradation.
“This research will help us understand the reason behind the flooding and other environmental challenges and guide long-term solutions grounded in science,” she said.
She explained that the funding supports software, hardware and implementation logistics, with a strong focus on sustainability through empowering young people and local professionals. She also praised UTG’s involvement, the media’s role in raising public awareness, and the World Bank for providing financial support to implement the WACA Project.
“We need homegrown solutions. Research-driven and locally informed approaches will deliver more sustainable outcomes for our communities,” Minister Manjang added.
For his part, UTG Vice-Chancellor Professor Herbert Robinson described the handover as a historic milestone for the university, noting that the project aligns seamlessly with UTG’s three core pillars: teaching and learning, research and knowledge transfer, and community service.
He explained that students and staff would study flooding, erosion, pollution and other environmental challenges along the Koto Stream, while also carrying out community profiling to understand how settlements have evolved over time.
“This is where the university plays a key role,” Professor Robinson said, adding that the partnership would significantly enhance local capacity and reduce reliance on foreign consultants in the future.
He thanked the ministry and WACA for their foresight in involving UTG, assuring stakeholders of the university’s full commitment to the project’s success. He described the initiative as a test case rich in creativity and innovation.
The ceremony concluded with the presentation of the research equipment including one laptop, two total stations, three trundle wheels, three hygrometers, two dumping levels, two digital cameras, Adobe Suite, Revit, SketchUp and Lumion software packages, four A3 tracing papers, one A3 colour printer, one projector, and 94 pieces of personal protective equipment (PPEs) officially sealing the collaboration between WACA and the University of The Gambia.
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