By Mamadou Edrisa Njie
The Action Against Desertification (AAD) project, which aims to help alleviate poverty, end hunger, improve livelihoods and strengthen resilience to climate change gathered 25 selected journalists, bloggers and communicators from 18 – 20 July, 2019 in Janjanbureh in the Central River Region South (CRR/S) for a training program to broaden their horizons.
In his overview of the project, Mr. Malang Jatta, National Focal Point for the Great Green Wall for the Sahel and Sahara Initiative (GGWSSI), said the project is being executed by Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) Gambia-Country Office through Government of the Gambia as the implementing agent in collaboration with four partners namely: Department of Forestry, Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education, National Consulting on Forest (NACO) and Agency for Development of Women and Children (ADWAC).
The general objective of the AAD project, Jatta stated, is to improve production systems resilient to climate change for increased food security in the sub-Sahara, with a strategic approach to adopt best sustainable innovative practices, actions and measures that promote and provide support to integrated land management and water control systems.
According to the National Focal Point, the AAD project targets farmers, youths including women and schools (lower and basic) with the objectives to reduce poverty, end hunger and to tackle the impact of climate change
The AAD project, which supports the Great Green Wall for Sahara and Sahel Initiatives, is funded by the European Union (EU) and the African Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) Secretariat. In The Gambia, the AAD project in 2019, conducted series of trainings to build the capacities of the project’s beneficiaries in project intervention areas.
The project is being implemented in the North Bank Region (NBR), Central River Region North (CRR North) and Upper River Region North (URR/North) of the Republic of the Gambia.
“The AAD project is on track, in 2019, the project conducted community trainings on seed collection and nursery management, community training on soil preparations, polypot filling, seed treatment and sowing,” he recalled.
As part of the trainings, 15 community members benefited from the training which was held from 2nd – 4th May, 2019 in Janjanbureh, Central River Region South. Jatta also recalled that training of Forest Management Committees on participatory forest management concept for 75 participants was conducted of which participants were divided into three groups.
He said the project conducted another skills training on honey production for the implementation of the Enterprise Development Plan (EDP) in which 15 community forest communities benefited (comprising 15 females and 14 males).
“Such initiative will contribute to enhancement of tree species restoration, species diversity, reduce unpredicted forest fires and create a sink forest ecosystem for carbon sequestration as well as significantly contribute to achieving the three primary objectives of the project (poverty reduction, reduce food insecurity and climate resilience),” stated the GGWSSI Focal Point.
Jatta referred to the promotion of natural regeneration on farmlands at village level of 120 participants (female 60 and 60 male) in 24 communities (5 participants per community) from NBR East, NBR West, CRR-N and URR-N), pointing out four training sites of two days, per training site.
According to him, in the campaign of bushfire management, sustainable forest nursery development and management dissemination and use of sustainable land management good practices, the project procured a total of 42 bicycles,100 Knapsack sprayers and 100 fire beaters, for distribution to community beneficiaries’.
On the procurement of assorted nursery equipment and other materials for 13 beneficiary Community Forest Management sites, a total of 13 wheel barrows, 26 watering cans, 26 shovels, 26 spades, 26 rakes, 26 buckets and 27,440 polypots (for raising of tree seedlings/planting stocks for year 2020 planting season) are available for distribution to thirteen communities.
The Great Green Wall for the Sahel and Sahara Initiative:
The Great Green Wall for the Sahel and Sahara Initiative (GGWSSI) is a Pan African programme being implemented over 20 countries in the Sahara and Sahel regions.
The overall goal of the GGWSSI is to improve the resilience of human and natural systems in the Sahel-Saharan zone against climate changes through a sound and sustainable development of land resources, the protection of rural heritage and the improvement of the livelihoods of the populations living in these areas.
With FAO Technical support and EU financial support in 2012, The Gambia adopted a national action plan for the implementation of the GGWSSI. The project “Action against desertification” is supporting the implementation of this Action Plan, particularly in the northern regions of the River Gambia that is: North Bank, Central River Region North and Upper River Region North covering 589,000 hectares.
A key aim of the project is to enhance conditions and the enabling environment (laws, regulations, incentives, etc.) needed to enable rural communities to sustainably manage and use their natural resources.
The project will directly assist some 390,283 (203,950 females and 186,329 males) who are highly dependent on natural resources for their livelihood.
