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Momodou
Denmark
11634 Posts |
 Posted - 19 Aug 2018 : 09:59:56
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Culled from Gambia Environmental Movement Whatsapp group
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Focus on Wildlife, Disasters & Environment
By Famara Drammeh
IOC Secretariat or GoTG: Who is responsible for compensating the habitat damage at Bijilo Forest Park?
Almost a year since a portion of our legally gazetted State Forest Park (Bijilo Forest Park administered by the Department of Forestry since 1952) was bulldozed for the construction of the $50million Chinese funded International Conference Center. The construction is in line with the upcoming preparation of the IOC Summit to be hosted by the Government of The Gambia later next year.
Undoubtedly, this magnificent project will contribute significantly towards infrastructural development in the country, ranging from road and airport expansion, upgrading of hotels to accommodate the high number of delegates attending the Summit, as well as promote tourism and boost our local economy. The site was initially identified by the former administration, and the decision didn't go down well with environmentalist and nature lovers due to the ecological sensitiveness of the area to disturbance. It was envisaged that this new administration will take steps to overturn the decision of the former administration and choose a better and more suitable site for the project but unfortunately that didn't happened, hence a six decade State Park- Bijilo Forest Park became the victim of anthropogenic actions to cater for a week long conference of the World second most Intergovernmental conference apart from the UN General Assembly.
Despite all the positive and good things that the conference will bring into the country, an important aspect that the whole country is not paying attention to, including the organizers of the Conference (IOC Secretariat) is that Bijilo Forest Park contain high diversity of plant and animal species of regional and international significance. Therefore their protection and survival is a responsibility of our Gambians in accordance with the objectives of the various international conventions signed by the Government of The Gambia including the three RIO Conventions (UNCCD, UNCBD,& UNFCCC), as well as CITES and CMS. In addition, because the area is along the coastline of The Gambia, The Abidjan Convention also comes into play, which one of the regional Convention on Coastal and Marine Environment.
Now, whether or not Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) was conducted (which I cannot ascertain) but the damages done to the habitat must be compensated to protect Bijilo Forest Park and it's biodiversity as per International procedures and requirement on such high magnitude project. While the construction is going on, one would expect that mitigation measures as per EIA recommendations (if it existed) should be implemented by now.. whether fencing off the remaining park, providing drinking point for animals, provision of supplementary feeding to reduce human-wildlife conflicts and/or providing funding to plant more trees with the involvement of Department of Forestry and other Civil Society Organizations. Bijilo Forest Park is a good destination for eco-tourist, University students and researchers from abroad. As conservationist, our biggest worry is the future of the Temminck Red Colobus monkey. They are very vulnerable and the population is on the brink of extinction. Currently only 1500 of them surviving on Earth, and The Gambia is such a lucky Nation to have few of the population. Humans and primates are so close, nobody knows how beneficial these species will be to human apart from tourism?
Finally, we must understand that International conferences, and foreign investors will always come and go, but our natural resources that God bless us with is here to stay for our benefit and that of the next generation. If we destroy it today indiscriminately, the repercussion on lives and livelihood will be severe. Due to climate change induced disasters, high temperature, every Nation is wisely utilizing the natural vegetation cover to reduce the impacts. It's our hope that our Government will always prioritize environmental protection, and never again bulldozed a Protected areas for a project that will significant impact on the species and ecosystem. One Gambia, One People, one Environment. Help protect our threatened and endangered species for posterity.
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A clear conscience fears no accusation - proverb from Sierra Leone |
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toubab1020
12306 Posts |
Posted - 19 Aug 2018 : 14:41:35
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I found this the most important paragraph by the author,which will not fall upon deaf ears :
" It's our hope that our Government will always prioritize environmental protection, and never again bulldozed a Protected areas for a project that will significant impact on the species and ecosystem. One Gambia, One People, one Environment. Help protect our threatened and endangered species for posterity."
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"Simple is good" & I strongly dislike politics. You cannot defend the indefensible.
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