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WORLD ENVIRONMENT DAY 2020.
As you are aware World Environment Day is observed on June 5 every year to promote awareness on the importance of preserving our biodiversity, the need to identify problems related to the environment and ways to take corrective action. It was on this day in the year 1972 that the United Nations Conference on the Human Environment was formed. First celebrated in 1973, World Environment Day, also popularly known as Environment Day, is a means to tackle environmental challenges that include climate change, global warming, disasters and conflicts, harmful substances, environmental governance, ecosystem management and resource efficiency.
Traditionally, World Environment Day has received tremendous support from the public, governments and non-government organizations around the world. This day, various awareness campaigns including beach clean-ups, exhibits, community events and much more are organized to spread the message, which is to improve the quality of life of all living beings on this planet without harming nature.
This day is the United Nations’ flagship day for promoting worldwide awareness and action for the environment, and over the years it has grown to be the largest global platform for environmental public outreach, and it is celebrated by millions of people in more than 100 countries.
Fellow Gambians, human activities have caused so much damage to the environment that has affected the delicate ecosystem. The damage has become so severe, that the whole world has come together to stop any further damage as our continued survival in this planet is at risk. The government of The Gambia is honored to be part of this global fight.
This year, the United Nations Environment Programme has announced that Colombia will host World Environment Day 2020 in partnership with Germany, and the theme for this year is on biodiversity conservation. This theme is intended to remind us to think seriously about the massive loss of our biodiversity due to our activities as humankind. Making the announcement, the Executive Director of UNEP stressed that with one million plants and animal species facing extinction, there has never been a more important time to focus on the issue of biodiversity than now.
The year 2020 is a year for urgency, ambition and action to address the crisis facing nature; and also provide an opportunity to incorporate nature-based solutions into global environmental actions. This year is also a critical year for national commitment to preserving and restoring biodiversity, and to provide an opportunity to ramp up to the start of the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration (2021-2030), which is intended to massively scale up the restoration of degraded and destroyed ecosystems, to fight against the climate crisis and enhance food security, water supply and biodiversity conservation.
On this day also, biodiversity will find a voice through thousands of African youths. All over Africa’s 54 nations, young men and women will speak out for biodiversity and take action to conserve it. Therefore, as Gambian youth or youth groups, I encourage you to speak out for your country and Africa’s biodiversity and take action to conserve it for the future generations.
Fellow Gambians and residents, the efforts of the Gambia government in conserving nature cannot be overlooked as a number of policies and regulations are being implemented by government institutions for the judicious exploitation and use of our natural resources. These include the:
• Biodiversity Policy
• National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan
• Forest Policy
• National Environment Management Act
• Gambia Environment Action Plan
• And others…
You will all agree with me that The Gambia contains globally significant biodiversity. Although small in size, The Gambia harbors a wealth of terrestrial, coastal, marine and wetland habitats and species of local, national, regional and global significance. The Gambia’s biological resources are vital to the populations’ economic and social development. As a result, there is a growing recognition in the Gambia that, biological diversity is a global asset of tremendous value to present and future generations. At the same time, the threat to species and ecosystems has never been as great as it is today. Furthermore, our county has had its own environmental challenges. Species extinction caused by human activities continues at an alarming rate. Clearing of our forest areas further increases the problems as habitats are destroyed for living organisms.
Recognizing the need to conserve its biological resources, the government of the Gambia has made a commitment to conserve 10% of the land area and eventually hectares of coastal and marine habitats as conservation areas. In addition, government through my Ministry have acquired funding to establish, expand and effectively manage protected areas including marine protected areas.
Ladies and Gentlemen I am indeed saddened by the rate at which our forest resources are exploited. To curb this, my Ministry has put in place regulations to curb the rapid destruction of the forest cover. Equally important, let’s all understand that it’s an obligation of each person to participate in the noble exercise of tree planting to conserve our environment and make it better than we found it.
Fellow Gambians, given the importance of this day, despite the Corona virus Pandemic, the National Environment Agency in collaboration with the Department of Parks and Wildlife Management will take a different approach in celebrating this day in The Gambia.
That is, instead of having the usual match procession by collaborating school children, security forces and partner institutions, there will be a week-long aggressive awareness creation and community outreach through phone-in radio awareness and sensitization programmes in all community radio stations throughout the country. With this, we will increase the awareness of all residents, particularly the local communities, on the importance of protecting our environment and natural resources for the present and future generations.
Ladies and gentlemen as I conclude my remarks let me appeal to all government and non-government institutions who are charged with the responsibility of managing our country’s natural resources and heritage, to re-double efforts in this area. I also call on the private sector to consider the environment as businesses cannot grow with the impacts of climate change. I also encourage the local community, CBOs, Youth Groups and all individuals in the Gambia to take action and make our environment great again.
Every person, therefore, has a duty to corporate with the state organs and other persons to protect and conserve the environment and ensure ecologically sustainable development and use of natural resources.
Thank you.