The National Forest Programme (NFP), designed to halt the rapidly degrading forest environment amidst a growing threat of desertification particularly in the Western and Lower Regions of the country, was yesterday launched at the Baobab Lodge and Resort in Bijilo.

This three-year partnership agreement, resulting from a document signed between The Gambia Government and the Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO), seeks to empower communities with legal security, skills and knowledge necessary to sustainably manage their natural resources as well as conserve the remaining bio-diversity.

In his welcoming remarks, Jatto Sillah, director of the Forestry Department, described the event as another milestone in efforts towards the development of the country's forest reserve. According to him, the Agriculture department and the FAO have collaborated in quite a number of activities and projects. The importance of this forum, he maintained, cannot be over emphasized, as some years ago, The Gambia was dense with a thick forest cover.

Dr Babagana Ahmadu, FAO representative in The Gambia, recalled that this programme, having been created over half a decade ago, has been operational in many countries worldwide. He added that it came in response to intergovernmental dialogue and resolutions on forests, which have recognised the important role that the National Forest Programme plays in addressing such issues. "The Facility is an innovative partnership among developing countries, leading international partners and the FAO, aimed at supporting national forest programmes," the FAO country boss said, adding, "it has further been described as a funding mechanism that provides grants directly to stakeholders in partner countries."

This, he said, also serves as a comprehensive information service on national forestry programmes worldwide, citing the fact that the facility's trademark is to stimulate participation in the NFP process by proving grants to stakeholders based on a competitive and transparent process to call and select proposals by those interested in the National Forestry Facility Support.

Dr Ahmadu went on to say that the facility seeks to assist countries to implement NFPs as instruments to integrate sustainable forest management into poverty reduction strategies and other broad processes linked to other sectors as well as to develop a consensus on how to address issues relevant to forests at the national level.

In delivering his keynote address, Momodou Kotu Cham, secretary of state for Forestry and the Environment, said the programme will also include agro-forestry schemes in the North Bank Region and general awareness raising on forestry and environmental issues. "I have been informed that the programme has the potential to be multi-faceted, and that depending on the objective of government, it is during these two days that you will have the opportunity to focus on the programme. Our country is highly endowed with forest, covering about 43% of the total land area. To maintain this status, government has demonstrated this commitment through the formulation of a forest policy and development of various strategies since the mid-nineties," SoS Cham stated.

He further revealed that presently, over 800 villages, covering an area of more than 40,000 hectares, have been participating in the sustainable forest management scheme since the inception of the concept, about 12 years ago.

He therefore called on stakeholders to collaborate with the Government of The Gambia to ensure the successful implementation of this policy. Present at the launching ceremony were FAO representatives from Rome, Italy, National Assembly members, regional chiefs as well as staff of the Forestry department.