By Mustapha Jarju
The Chairperson of the Foni Jarrol Forest Committee, Yaya Tamba, has called on the Gambia’s government to end the felling of trees for the country to overcome deforestation.
In an interview with The Voice, Chairman Tamba said what he has seen in the Gambia bushes most especially in the Foni cannot allow him to fold his hands and continue seeing the destruction of forests in the area.
He said he is an environmentalist and he usually goes inside the forest to observe what is happening there compared to activities of the previous years through this he has realized that there is serious destruction in the forest across the country.
Highlighting the motivation behind the establishment of the committee, he said it is due to the destruction of forests, and the forests need to be salvaged from further destruction.
“We informed our district chief and gathered clubs and youth to reach plans on how to end deforestation In our district which led to the formation of the Foni Jarrol Forest Committee,” he explained.
However, he added that they put some mechanisms in place for the suitability of ending deforestation in their region hence they are aware that setting up a committee alone is not enough.
“We ban charcoal burning within our district so that we can end cutting of young trees, and also ban timber logging which they agreed on. These are mechanisms helping us to end deforestation,” he underscored.
He, therefore, called on the youth to stop cutting down trees for financial gains and allow the trees to grow “for our survival and a good rainy season,”
