The government of The Gambia through the Ministry of Agriculture, recently validated a study on the national resources management benchmark indicators at the Paradise Suites Hotel in Kololi.

The study, according to Kekoi Kuyateh, deputy permanent secretary, projects & programmes at the Ministry of Agriculture, was conducted in all the member countries of the CILSS and was prompted by recurrent drought and natural hazards affecting the whole region over the last four decades. This phenomenon Kuyateh said, "revealed the fragile nature of its ecosystem and called for mitigation measures. The efforts deployed by our countries and the inter-governmental agencies of the sub-region to address these problems are affected by many technical and organizational problems."

He further adduced that in order to address these challenges, there is need to put in place adequate mechanism and instruments for the collection and analysis of reliable biophysical, cartographic, demographic, and socio-economic data. The CILSS, he said, with the support of its technical and financial partners, nourishes the ultimate ambition to put in place and operationalise environmental information and monitoring system and land-related conflict prevention mechanism, which will incorporate food crisis management facility.

Kuyateh explained that the NRS is expected to also incorporate in the long run, CILSS's food crisis management facility. This facility, which according to him is already in the framework for its extension to the whole ECOWAS space, will contribute to the implementation of the ECOWAP/PDDAA priority intervention programme entitled: 'Prevention and Management of Food Crisis and Other Natural Hazards' (PCACN).

The implementation of the SIVE he argued, must also feed the state of the environment reporting process undertaken by CILSS with a three-year report publication term, in line with the recommendations of the CILSS Summit of heads of state 2004. He expressed hope that when the study is completed, it will contribute to the successful operationalisation of this mechanism for the benefit of the sub-region.

Abdourahman Jobe, deputy permanent secretary and coordinator of CILSS, in his welcome remarks, maintained that "the objectives of this study is to establish a reference baseline in the Sahel sub-region and in West Africa, allowing monitoring and regular access to the state of the environment and nature resources, and their dynamics, as well as to access the impact of environmental policies applied in the sub-region".

He further stated that the new natural resources benchmark indicators is aimed at updating the state of environmental monitoring and early warning mechanisms at country level, as well as for the ECOWAS sub region. The benchmark indicators DPS Jobe said, will be involved with "identifying adequate biophysical and socio economic indicator(s) for setting up of operational monitoring and assessment mechanisms for the environment's dynamics at sub-regional level, in a coherent and harmonized way." He also noted that while taking into account the existence of other on-going initiatives of CILSS, the new indicators will work for the establishment of a sub-regional mechanism for the activities of the agency.

"The new benchmark indicators will ensure a cohesive approach to tackling issues relating to disaster management, reforestation, fishery stock depletion and other environmental concerns that not only affect our environment but also negatively affect agricultural production, not only in the country but in the entire West African sub- region," he concluded.