The Daily Observer (Banjul)
Jakong Jabbi
3 November 2009
As part of the coastal community sensitization on the promotion of sustainable use of biodiversity, the community of Bakau, last Sunday, were sensitised on biodiversity issues, held at the Bakau Community Centre.
Famara Drammeh, the consultant, Energy and Environment Project, presenting on law, policies governing biodiversity conservation, defines biodiversity as the variability among living organisms from all sources including terrestrial, marine and other aquatic ecosystem and the ecological complexes of which they are part.These, he indicated include diversity within species, genetic or ecosystem.
According to him, the government of The Gambia is committed to the conservation of biodiversity, and that this is evident by the fact that the country is a signatory and a party to various regional and international treaties and agreements, which he said are related to or affect biodiversity.
He added that the conservation and management of biodiversity in The Gambia currently cuts across various sectoral departments, including the Department of Parks and Wildlife Management, Forestry, Fisheries, Agriculture and others, which were established by government to regulate the use of the natural resources and their effective management. He said "Vision 2020, the Gambia's socio-economic development strategy for the period 1996-2020, is aimed at raising the standard of living of Gambians by transforming the country into a middle income country by the year 2020".
The Department of Parks and Wildlife Management (DPWM) he said, is in charge of the conservation, management and development of the wildlife resources and protected areas of the country, for the purpose of implementing the conservation on biological diversity, which he said is led by the government institution. For his part, Abdoulie Sawo, assistant warden at DPWM, presenting on the loss of biodiversity and its impact on poverty, said habitat destruction and exploitation have meant that thousands of species of plants and animals alike including marine species have been brought to the verge of extinction.
He further highlighted the importance of biodiversity in many respects. According to him, it is important to human existence - the natural cycles - as it provides the myriad of foodstuffs for human and animals alike. "It also provides medicine in its varieties, maintenance of the balance of oxygen in the atmosphere, plant and animal breeders, bringing about improved soil conditions and environment, provision of raw materials for industries, and so on," he said.
He noted that if these resources were dwindling in their supply to meet their socio-economic needs, there would be poverty as they are not only their source of food, clothig and shelter, but also their source of employment and income. Mawdo Jallow, the wildlife conserversion officer, also presented on the promotion of sustainable use of biodiversity.
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