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Thanks to EU funds, Banjul will become a greener city that is better prepared for a changing climate.
Beach plantings
Banjul's survival is threatened by rising sea levels. To combat coastal erosion and be better prepared for climate change, 5,000 coconut palms and 1,000 other trees (including moringa, baobab and kapok) were planted on Banjul's beach. Planting coconut palms could also provide a long-term source of income for Banjul City Council (BCC). Coconuts are a valuable product, the whole nut of which can be used for various applications.
Tree failure in plantings is inevitable; nevertheless, the project can be said to be a resounding success, with more than 3,500 coconut palms being cared for on the beach. It is essential to continue the investments made in the coming years and make additional plantings to achieve good tree management. The trees generally start bearing fruit after seven years.
Planting in the city centre
Three thousand trees will be planted in the city centre. This will be done on the one hand by planting trees in public spaces and, on the other, by growing fruit trees in schools and giving them to pupils to plant at home. These plantings are also part of climate mitigation strategies. Trees provide cooling, remove CO² from the air and create a greener streetscape. Mainly Cordia Sebestena, Ficus and Terminalia Ivorensis (’Umbrella tree’) will be planted in the streets. Six hundred trees have already been planted in the streets of Banjul and three hundred have already been distributed to pupils.
Mangrove plantings
In the Tanbi Wetlands Complex (TWC) national park, located next to Banjul and protected under the International Ramsar Convention, more than 15000 mangrove bushes were planted in collaboration with the West African Bird Study Association (WABSA). The aim is to restore the former situation - before harmful human interventions - and replant mangroves where, for various reasons, they have been felled or died. Survival rates were variable and highly location-dependent. Ten thousand mangroves died. The most recent locations are proving more successful because lessons have been learned from the earlier plantings.
Boardwalk
Facilities are being created for birdwatchers, while respecting the natural environment, in the flood plain adjacent to Banjul that also forms part of the Tanbi Wetlands Complex (TWC).
A footbridge, an information centre and an observation tower will be built close to a gathering place of various bird species, including many migratory birds. Depending on the season, more than one hundred different species can be seen. It is not for nothing that The Gambia is known as a paradise for bird lovers.