Gambia campaigns for Forest cover

Sunday, 17 January 2010 22:54

By Frederic Tendeng
Forestry officials in Gambia, in collaboration of regional anti-bush fire task forces on Friday launched a week-long campaign in the country's Western Region. The campaign will entail meetings with communities to advocate for the need and importance of preserving forest cover. Mr. Abdoulie Sanneh, the country's Forestry Director, speaking to some communities in the region, stressed the important link between forest cover, mainly identified with trees, and their implication on the availability of rainfall and agriculture. He said, “Healthy forest cover goes with enough rainfall, leading to bumper harvest for farmers”. Mr Sanneh further catalogued the numerous benefits that forest covers provide, including “the prevention of disasters such as flooding and erosion”.
The campaign also targets negative farming practices that are very harmful to forest cover. Some Gambians are used to frequently setting the country's bushes on fire prompting the government to come up with expensive anti-bush fire response alongside multiple campaigns that go on with lots of public sensitization as well as education programs. In that, the Forestry Department Director challenged Gambians “to contribute towards ensuring healthy forest cover by preventing and combating bush fire outbreaks”.