By Isatou Jawara
The National Commission for UNESCO [NATCOM] in collaboration with Department of Water Resources, had convened a one-day Consultative forum on the establishment of a National Committee on Intergovernmental Hydrological Programme (IHP).
The committee includes relevant stakeholders to address the challenges of sustainable water management which will be apply to integrate approaches to address water issues across the country.
The Forum was held on 17 February 2020 at NaNA Conference hall and attended by relevant stakeholders from the Government and Civil society organizations.
While launching the IHP Committee, the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Fisheries and Water Resources Dr. Bamba Banja, said the challenges of water resources management continue to grow due to complicated and opposing interest of various stakeholders at all levels.
In a bid to overcoming these obstacles, he informed the event that capacity building would be done, applying integrated approach to involve relevant stakeholders for the sustainable management of water resources.
As the PS recalled, the government of the Gambia has developed the integrated water resource management roadmap in 2009. The roadmap was implemented through the national water sector project from 2011 to 2015.
The IHP National Committee as national governance structure of UNESCO has a major stake in the current water sector reform in the Gambia.
For several years, the committee had been dormant in The Gambia, but Dr. Banja said it would be revitalized with the support from their development partners.
The Senior Program Officer of UNESCO Gambia, Mr. Ousman Jarjue, speaking at the event said, assured that UNESCO would continue to support IHP Gambia Committee.
Jarjue said the forum would brief new members of the committee on it’s duties and responsibilities; the UNESCO governing structure and projects of IHP Africa and as well as the opportunities for the Gambia.
