The National Ozone Office under the National Environment Agency (NEA) recently organised a two-day technical meeting for refrigeration technicians at the Trans-Gambia lodge in Pakalinding, Lower River Region.

Over 40 participants drawn from regional associations of refrigeration technicians participated in the dialogue over establishing a national association that would represent the country in international fora and trainings.

In his opening remarks, Lamin Darboe, the deputy governor of Lower River Region said, there is a need for both local and international holistic efforts in saving the ozone layer from depletion. According to him, since the world is a global village, the contribution from refrigeration technicians would no doubt be the greatest factor in reducing the emission rate of chemicals from the earth.

Deputy governor Darboe further appealed to the participants to first adopt good practices learnt and spread the knowledge gained adding that the importance of the ozone layer and its role in reducing the harmful ultraviolet rays from the sun reaching the earth's surface cannot be over-emphasised.

In his keynote address, Momodou Kanteh, Director of Technical Services Network at the NEA said, refrigeration technicians are targeted because Chloro-Fluoro-Carbons (CFSs), which is the main source of ODS in The Gambia are found in refrigerators, air conditions, foams and aerosols. He disclosed that the meeting is one of series of activities towards meeting The Gambia's international obligations in phasing-out the consumption and production of ODS by 2010.

Kanteh revealed that over 120 refrigeration technicians country wide have been trained on refrigeration handling, recycling, recovery, and environmentally sound techniques while about 83 customs and excise officials have been trained and provided with substance identifiers for the monitoring and control of ODS at different ports of entry in the country.

Abdul Aziz Mboge, senior lecturer at the GTTI who coordinated the procession said the meeting among other things aimed at establishing a national platform for refrigeration technicians in order to represent the country in international meetings, trainings and conferences.

Recognising the vulnerability of human kind, Flora and Fauna to ODS, the NEA's ODS project co-ordinator, Dawda Badgie said the National Environment Agency and the government of The Gambia has over the years taken giant steps towards the reduction and ultimate elimination of ODS through a number of measures. He however said the training is intended to strengthen the capacity of refrigeration technicians.

Lamin NM Jammeh, president of the Lower River Region Refrigeration Technicians Association was at the end of the meeting, elected president of the National Association of Refrigeration Technicians and Pa Amat Leigh of KMC elected  the Vice-President.