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Gambia: Biogas Development Introduced in Community

The Department of State for Agriculture in collaboration with the World Bank has organised a one day national workshop on large scale country-wide, Biogas Development in The Gambia with the theme "prospects and challenges of country wide adoption of biogas technology at household level" The one day workshop was held on the 26th April 2007 at the Corinthian Atlantic Hotel in Banjul. The workshop was organised in order to demonstrate the viability and the possible framework for a prospective biogas project. It has been stated that Biogas is a renewable cooking energy source that is friendly to the environment and to the livestock-owning rural households.

Delivering his opening remarks, the Secretary of State for Agriculture, Hon. Kanja Sanneh said the time has come for humankind to join hands to stop the degradation of the natural environment that can only lead to irreversible consequences and serve natural diseases. He stated that more than 80% of Gambians on average use half a kilo of fuel wood to cook a meal in the day. He further stated that it is not a surprise that the forests are fast disappearing. Consequently, he said, Gambians are spending higher sums on fuel wood, or much more time to collect it than it used to be done ten years ago. He noted that at this moment people are not paying only unaffordable prices for their cooking fuel but are also facing a bleak future as the current destructive trends continue unabated. Hon Kanja Sanneh further noted that the workshop proposes solutions that are intended to reduce dependence on fuel wood for cooking energy demands through the use of biogas renewable energy. He emphasised that the development of biogas receive full support from the Government and its propagation and said it is in tune with the Government's stated policy of encouraging development and adoption of renewable energy resources in the country. He expressed his pleasure on the commendable and pioneering initiative that peri-urban project (PSIP) has embarked on at Banjulunding to develop a successful pilot household biogas plant which is now being expanded to additional 20 biogas plants, making it the first village in The Gambia to own such plants. He observed that biogas can be extensively developed in The Gambia in meeting the increased demand for cooking energy. This, he said, will help in conserving the rapidly diminishing forest.

Lamin A.O Sanyang, the Project Co-ordinator, periurban project, said biogas focuses mainly on women's living in our community. He said biogas intervention is one area which can help women to minimize the collecting of firewood and reduce smoke in our environment. He noted that Biogas is wanted in the whole country. The World Bank Mission Leader, Haddy J. Sey, stated that their objective is to promote social development in the environment, as they have seen, through research, a massive deforestation in The Gambia. She said biogas is one of the best intellectual initiatives to be done in The Gambia.

Shuva Sharma a mission member outlined the objective of biogas, which he said needs to be achieved as it leads to awareness about biogas. Other speakers included Dr. Amadou Sowe, the Permanent Secretary for Agriculture. A documentary on biogas was presented by Shuva Sharma.