The Resilience of Organizations for Transformative Smallholder Agriculture Project (ROOTS) has handed over Assisted Natural Regeneration and firefighting equipment valued at over D9.7 million to the Department of Forestry during a ceremony held at the ROOTS Project premises in Abuko.
The equipment, procured under the Global Environment Facility-funded Sustainable Land Management Programme, includes 368 bicycles, 613 water knapsack sprayers, 613 rakes, 613 cutlasses, 613 buckets and 613 fire beaters.
The materials will be distributed to 50 communities across the West Coast Region, Lower River Region and North Bank Region to strengthen bushfire prevention and control, protect regenerating forests and support sustainable natural resource management.
Speaking at the ceremony, ROOTS Climate Change and Natural Resources Management Officer, Dr. Fatou Bojang, highlighted progress under the GEF-supported intervention, including the provision of environmentally friendly Jambar cooking stoves to 1,000 households, support for pasture and rangeland management in 62 communities, and enrichment planting covering approximately 6,000 hectares of community forests.
Representatives from the Ministries of Environment and Agriculture also emphasised the importance of stronger institutional collaboration and effective use of the equipment to protect natural resources and strengthen rural resilience.
The handover marks another milestone in ROOTS’ efforts to promote sustainable land management, environmental restoration and climate resilience.
By strengthening community and institutional capacity for bushfire prevention and forest protection, ROOTS continues to support healthier landscapes, stronger rural livelihoods and more resilient communities across The Gambia.
Protecting Our Forests | Restoring Our Landscapes | Building Climate-Resilient Communities
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