Gambia’s Ministry of Environment Climatic Change and Natural Resources (MECCNAR) has signed a $10M project Agreement that focuses on adaptation, climate risk management, and market access. Targeting the Central River and Upper River Regions of the country.
The five-year grand project is donated by the Adaptation Fund and the implementation will start in March 2022 and end in February 2027.
The objective of the project is to enhance the adaptive capacity of rural populations in The Gambia through support to climate-resilient and diversified livelihoods and the aim is to develop knowledge and awareness to underpin evidence-based resilience building and adaptation activities, particularly for women and youths among other things.
The signing was done at the Ministry’s Kairaba Avenue office. Yasuhiro Tsumura is the WFP Country Director. He expressed delight to be associated with the project saying the project presentation is quite interesting and well designed.
Tsumura indicated that among the components of the project is to strengthen the resilience of the communities and households improving infrastructures against climate shocks and increase the productive capacities despite these shocks.
“The project will also support the mechanism to transfer climate-related risks through weather insurance and it will also develop a knowledge management system and strengthen the evidence base to clearly show the impacts of resilience building and climate adaptation support.”
On his part, Momodou Mbye Jabang, Permanent Secretary at MECCNAR, welcomed what he called a huge development stride. He used the opportunity to thank WFP for the partnership.
The project was approved by the AF Board on 3rd May 2021 and the Board decided to grant WFP the authorisation to manage it and select the executing entities.
“The targeted groups are smallholders’ farmers and other vulnerable rural groups who are already at risk from climate variability and change, with an emphasis on women and youths,” Momodou Mbye Jabang said.
The project is expected to increase the adaptive capacity and resilience of targeted communities through concrete adaptation and diversified livelihoods of about 6,520,390.
