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• UNDP’s work on Energy
and Environment is focused on the following priority areas:
• Framework and strategies for sustainable development
• Effective water governance
• Access to sustainable energy services
• Sustainable land management to combat desertification and
land degradation
• Conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity
• Reducing greenhouse gas emissions
• National/sectoral policy and planning to control emissions
of ODS and POPs
While in the past, the Country Office (CO) has supported the government
and people of the Gambia in almost all the priority areas, the new
CO programme will among others concentrate on mainstreaming environment
and energy as well as Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) activities into
national and local development policies and strategies by linking
economic development to human welfare considerations. Specifically,
the CO will promote sustainable development by tackling the environmental
challenges of reducing biodiversity loss, reducing poverty and reducing
greenhouse gas emissions in synergy with each other. This synergy
otherwise termed low-carbon, climate resilient development is the
CO’s rallying point and a way to approach sustainable development.
This will require capacity building/strengthening at all levels,
particularly local communities and women, to promote sustainable
development in such areas as land degradation, waste management
and coastal zone protection.
The Gambia being a coastal country is highly vulnerable to the impacts of climate change, more specifically, on the coast. The coastal resources and infrastructure which serve as a means of livelihood for the majority of Gambians is already threatened by coastal erosion and this presents serious challenges to the country’s development. Consequently, adapting to the impacts of climate change is among the top priority areas of UNDP’s work on Environment and Energy. The CO will continue to promote sustainable development by using climate change as the rallying point to address environmental challenges, including Green House Gas (GHG) emission, coastal erosion, biodiversity loss, poverty reduction and land degradation among others.
Project Briefs /Achievements
1.Support
to the Energy & Environment sectors to attain the MDGs and PRSP
The project aims to support the Energy and Environment sectors to
enhance capacities and effectively mainstream Energy & Environment
concerns into national and local policies, strategies, programmes
and plans to reverse the current trend of natural resources degradation
and attain the MDGs & PRSP 11;
Key intervention areas are:
1.Strengthening national & decentralized capacities for environmental
mainstreaming and management, including enhancement of the capacity
of the energy and environment sectors to integrate environmental
considerations into national & local policies, strategies and
programmes;
2.Enhancement of forest management capacities of local communities
to sustainably manage and use their forest resources for improved
food security and protection of the forest cover;
3. Promote the conservation and effective management of biodiversity
and protected areas network to contribute to poverty alleviation
and reduction of biodiversity loss;
4.Promote the use of alternative energy and energy efficient technologies
to reduce energy consumption and hence the demand on forest resources.
Challenges have been poor record keeping and weak institutional
capacity across the environment and energy sectors and the frequent
turnover of personnel resulting to loss of institutional memory
Project duration: 2009 -2011
Project cost: US $1,3 million
Implement Partner- Ministry of Forestry and Environment
Achievements:
Within the framework of UNDP supported Energy and Environment Project
(2009-2011), 13 government and NGO delegates were supported to participate
in MEA processes, such as UNFCCC COPs 15 & 16 and CBD COP 10.
This support helped increased the understanding of participants
about the work of relevant MEAs as well as enhanced their negotiation
skills for effective participation in the negotiation process.
The CO E&E focal point facilitated an audience with UNDP EE-Group
delegation in the margins of the Cancun UNFCCC COP 16 and discussions
are in progress on how UNDP and Gambia can collaborate to move onto
more sustainable paths to development.
2.Adaptation
to Coastal & Climate Change (ACCC) Project (GEF/UNDP Regional
Project).
The project focuses on implementing measures to strengthen the resilience
of vulnerable communities to the impacts of climate change on coastal
resources in the participating countries of The Gambia, Senegal,
Guinea Bissau, Mauritania and Cape Verde.
Key intervention areas include: 1. Increasing the adaptive capacities
and resilience of coastline ecosystems in the regions vulnerable
to climate change impacts; 2.Integrate climate change, adaptation
issues and coastal area management into national policies and strategies;
3. Enhance monitoring of coastal erosion and capacity building in
coastal management and planning; 4. Increase learning, evaluation
and adaptive management for effective coordination and management
of the project.
Challenges: Insufficient baseline data in the area of climate change
and weak institutional capacity.
Project duration: 2008- 2011
Project cost: GEF- US $ 13,729,517 (Overall);
Gambia component:
US $ 473,200
Implementing Partner- National Environment Agency
3.Preparation
of Hydro Chloro fluoro Carbon (HCFC) Phase Out
Management Plan (HPMP)
The project aims to freeze the production and consumption of HCFCs
in the country as from January 2013.
Key intervention areas include: HCFC data collection and analysis,
2. Stakeholder meetings and strategy development; 3. Development
of proposal for the Phase out management plan.
Challenges: Insufficient data on HCFCs and weak institutional capacity
Project duration: 2010
Project cost: US $ 85,000
Implementing Partner- National Environment Agency
Some of the projects achievements:
E&E
• Development of GEAP 11 and SOER11, conduct SEA trainings
and sensitization on Climate Change
• Study tour to Senegal, biodiversity trainings
• Agro-forestry trainings, development of two pilot medicinal
plants
• Energy efficiency and conservation sensitization activities
conducted.
ACCC
• CC adaptation activities: Oyster collection,
• Rehabilitation of degraded mangrove habitats, provision
of 28 boats to 55 women of Lamin women Oyster collectors Association,
•Training of women Oyster collectors on sustainable oyster
collection techniques etc
HPMP
• Final strategy paper for HPMP
• Country wide data on HCFCs collected
• Final draft of HPMP project proposal for submission to EXCOM
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The
Gambia