The Principal Education Officer for Region Four in the Lower River Region, has said that environmental education, sensitisation and awareness creation on climate change is one of the basic tools needed in moulding schools children, who are also the future generation to be responsible for the destiny of their own environment. Therefore, he added, the transfer and inculcation of knowledge to students in particular and the public at large on sound environmental management guarantees a healthy environment for everybody.

Demba Jawo made these remarks during a one-day sensitisation programme on climate change organised by a local environmental NGO Fresh Start Foundation (FSF) for students of Soma Lower and Upper Basic Schools recently held at Soma Lower Basic school in the lower River Region (LRR).

According to him, Climate Change knowledge for schools is eminent for any socio-economic development as they are the driving force to the future. He therefore called on all relevant stakeholders to carry sensitisation programmes to schools.

 “Creating linkages built on common understanding, through diverse communication methods including school-based environmental talks, focus group discussions and field visits to schools, etc. can help one spread the message on how to protect, improve and preserve the environment,” he said.

Lamin Sanyang alias Boy, coordinator of Fresh Start Foundation, said that Climate Change has become a threat to our survival,unless mitigation and adaptive measures are put in place to avert any terrible impacts. He therefore said its incumbent on all to do their bit in a holistic effort to reduce the emissions of Green House Gas in an effort to reduce its negative impact.

This regional sensitisation for students on Climate Change and its adverse effects is sponsored by the Global Environment Fund (GEF) through UNDP Gambia office`s Small Grants Programme. Resource persons made presentations in the areas of health, agriculture, forestry, food production and environment.

Dilating on the background of the project, Sanyang said the objectives of this cross-learning is to build the capacity of students on the values of natural resource management on which lives depends on; to increase their understanding on forest and woodland ecosystem resources, and for them to act as agents of change.

The local NGO coordinator also explained that the training aims to reduce some of the socio-economic activities that have negative impact on our sustainable use of natural resources. The impacts of Climate Change on health, environment, agriculture and forestry were integral part of the training module.

Sanyang reiterated that Climate Change is everyone’s business and thus people should think globally and act locally. He therefore called for a massive tree planting during the rainy season as trees serve as carbon sink. 

“Millions of poor across Africa derive their livelihood from natural resource bases like land, water, fisheries, forestry, etc. where climate change is expected to affect these resources and their productivity, limiting options and potentials of the poor and the vulnerable in many ways,” the FSF Coordinator disclosed.

Climate Change, Sanyang said, is a growing barrier to achieving the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and if positive actions are not taken, the vulnerability and negative impacts would steadily increase. He said students are agents of change, that is why they were targeted in order for them to help in the dissemination of Climate Change information.

Speaking earlier, the headmaster of Soma Lower Basic School, Lamin Njai called on both students and their teachers to contribute their quota to address the negative impact of Climate Change, noting that environmental catastrophe has no boundaries. 

He appealed for the inculcation of climate change knowledge into his pupils and disseminate what have been learnt and spread it like a gospel to their parents and peers in an effort to trigger attitudinal change.

Master Njai further appealed to NGOs and institutions to emulate FSF in extending their awakening programmes on the environment to schools for the benefit of our future generations. The sensitisation training sessions were punctuated by tree planting exercise and handing over of assorted cleaning materials like rakes, wheelbarrows, garden forks and spades for the two schools. 

Dawda Cham, head boy of Soma Upper Basic who gave the vote of thanks appealed to his peers to live to expectation in information dissemination on climate change and related issued affecting the environment.