Gunjur: Golden Lead Statement on Deteriorating Environment, Government Inspectors

BAJ coordinator attends Kenya climate change training

BAJ Coordinator, Abdou Rahman Sallah (Photo: Mansa Banko)

The national coordinator of Biodiversity Action Journalists (BAJ Gambia), Abdou Rahman Sallah, left for Kenya on January 25 to take part in a two weeks training on Climate Change.

Mr Sallah, an environmental journalist, selected from a pool of applicants by the organisers, the Kenya-based Youth Encounter on Sustainability (YES) to partake  in the January 28–February 14 climate change course.

The two weeks intensive course is facilitate by myclimate, a Swiss non-profit foundation together with ACTIS, a spin-off organisation of ETH Zürich, in cooperation with UNEP, and the Alliance for Global Sustainability (AGS) – an environmental research partnership between the ETH Zürich, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), the University of Tokyo (UT) and the Chalmers Technical University in Göteborg, Sweden.

MC Baatiz releases ‘set-setal’ video

MC Baatiz told TNBES on Tuesday that "it is important to get this public awareness-raising audio and video on the FM stations and the TV" (Photo: MC Baatiz/Facebook)

Gambia: Disaster agency wrestles with inadequate capacity, working against the norms of disaster operation

The Bakoteh dumpsite situated opposite the SOS children's village poses a great health risk and also has the potential to cause a health disaster (Photo credit: Panoramio)

Gambia prepares for ‘unforeseen’ oil disaster

Work of art depicting an oil spill/courtesy of Bush Dwellers

The Gambia is preparing for an unpredicted oil disaster as the National Disaster Management Agency, NDMA, on July 3, 2012 kick-started a four-day “National Oil Spill Contingency Plan Simulation Exercise.”

The exercise, ending today, is being held in collaboration with Global Initiative for West-and Central Africa (GI-WACAF), and International Petroleum Industry Environment Conservation Association (IPIECA).  

It attracted various sectors in the preservation of human and ecological environment, marine and petroleum industries. The organisers, NDMA, said the exercise is meant to building the capacity of the participants on the impact and challenges of oil spill, and to prepare and come up with a solid and efficient national oil spill contingency plan.

Highlights from the Africa Carbon Forum in Addis Ababa

Highlights for Friday, 20 April 2012

DAILY WEB COVERAGE

| Wed 18 April | Thu 19 April | Fri 20 April |

The fourth Africa Carbon Forum concluded its discussions today at the United Nations Conference Centre in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Participants convened over three days to discuss the latest developments in the carbon market and to identify means by which the Kyoto Protocol’s Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) and other mitigation mechanisms can be successfully applied in Africa. Today’s meeting included plenary sessions on forestry and agriculture and on global perspectives on the future demands for offsets; two round table discussions on benefits to Africa from “climate smart agriculture” and on carbon market linkages. Two workshops were also conducted on new market mechanisms and on REDD+ linkages between projects and national frameworks. As well, two training sessions provided participants with information on establishing national/regional grid emission factors and on carbon and sustainable agriculture land management. John Kilani closed the Forum at 5:20pm.

Wangari Muta Maathai (1940-2011)

Wangari Muta Maathai (Pix: abww.wordpress.com)

It is with great sadness that the family of Professor Wangari Maathai announces her passing away on 25th September, 2011, at the Nairobi Hospital, after a prolonged and bravely borne struggle with cancer. Her loved ones were with her at the time,  The Green Belt Movement International said today in a brief statewment.



 

"Professor Maathai’s departure is untimely and a very great loss to all who knew her—as a mother, relative, co-worker, colleague, role model, and heroine; or who admired her determination to make the world a more peaceful, healthier, and better place."

GAMBIA: HOME AFFAIRS

• UDP’s Shingle Nyassi speaks on his visit to US 

• Ambassador White projects a new era in civil-military relations  

+ more......

Gambia to Receive ‘Silver’ at 2011 Future Policy Awards

The Gambia-Government will receive a “silver award” during a ceremony which celebrates the most inspiring, innovative and influential forest policies worldwide on September 21 at the United Nations Headquarters in New York, the Minister of Forestry said on Wednesday.

$8.7M to finance three environment priority areas under GEF

Biodiversity

The Gambia has been allocated US$8.7 million to spend on land degradation, biodiversity and climate change between now until 2014.

The funding, generated through the Global Environment Facility (GEF) 5 STAR Allocation, will devout $4.57 million to the management of land degradation, under the United Nations Climate Change Desertification Convention (UNCCD); $2 million on biodiversity, under the auspices of the UN Convention on Biodiversity (UNCBD); and $1.5 million on climate change mitigation, within the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).

Dictatorship Is Incompatible With Free Expression

Mr Cue

Lookout for more…

Ø  Unplanned settlement, poor drainage system, the main causes of flooding in Kanifing Municipality

Ø  CDS Kinteh says good communications safe lives sometimes

Ø  Make hay while the sun shines, President Jammeh tells Gambian youths

Ø  Greenie Environmental Education project gauges feedback

Ø  Gambian to host Youth Crime Watch’s West Africa Office

Ø  NEA nurturing the young to take ownership of the environment 

GADHOH laments the ‘non-prioritization’ of rehabilitation and integration of the Deaf

Also in the news...

• Minority Leader disagrees with Finance Minister on road project  

• GAMCOTRAP officials to open defence

• $12 million to finance UTG project

ON THE HOME FRONT......

1.  Governments must make the well-being and rights of children ‘an integral part’ of their development agenda
2. National laws and policies checked against cultural rights…
3. Gambia committed to the rights and welfare of children
4. GTTI holds ECOWAS course in building trade curriculum
5. Prison Fellowship launch rehabilitation project    
6. NDMA recognises the crucial role non-State Actors can play in disaster risk-reduction
7. Forestry Director links a healthy economy to a healthy forest cover  
8. Nasir Senior Secondary School graduates 95

Murder: NDEA officers’ case to be heard by the SCD/HC

More news....

• Bachilly urges expunge of charge against Indian NationalImproving Reproductive Health - UNFPA 
• Treason Trial: Tamba, Fofana’s fate to be decide today 
• Our future and survival matters more than anything else  
• NDEA deputy director testifies against the former

News Round-Up From Around Africa/World

• News media identified as presidential enemy No. 1
• Achieving a Ceasefire, Moving towards Legitimate Government
• Agricultural experts push for a strong seed sector in West Africa
• Working Group of Experts on People of African Descent visits Portugal
• 2011 Euro Mediterranean Award goes to the Crisis Unit
• Tanzania: Development partners to provide USD 453 million
• New UNIDO Study Builds Case for Agribusiness Development as Path to Africa’s Prosperity
• UN launches photo contest on green issues ‘Worldwide’
• IMF Managing Director Dominique Strauss-Kahn Resigns

Production of chemicals is fundamental to economic activities of countries

Alhagie Momodou Canteh, Director and Coordinator of Technical Services Network (DSTN) National Environment Agency (NEA) have said that the production and use of chemicals are fundamental to the economic activities and the development of all countries, whether industrialized or developing.

“Directly or indirectly, chemicals affect the lives of all humans and are essential to our food supply (fertilizers, pesticides, food additives, packaging) our health (pharmaceuticals, cleaning materials), and our daily existence (appliance, fuel etc),” he added.