By Fatou Sillah
The Mayor of Ostend and the Deputy Mayor of Banjul, accompanied by their delegation, recently toured the thriving Coconut Trees planted along Banjul Beach. This eco-friendly endeavor is part of the City Link Ostend-Banjul partnership for Sustainable City Development, funded by the European Union. The initiative aims to enhance Banjul’s aesthetic appeal and environmental resilience.
Launched in August 2020, the project has made significant strides in addressing coastal erosion exacerbated by desertification and drought. The strategic planting of Coconut Trees not only protects Banjul from sea-level rise but also strengthens food security, generates income for locals, and transforms the beach into an attractive tourist destination.
Mayor Ostend highlighted the substantial promotional impact the Coconut Trees have on both Banjul and The Gambia.
“Is a very big promotion for your city and your country, because a lot of people from Belgium are going to Dakar, and with these trees, they will come to the Gambia and come to the beach of Ostend here in Banjul. Thank you very much for your cooperation. I see the evolution. It is very lovely to see that the trees are growing, and that is the most important goal,” He said.
Aziz Dabakh Gaye, the Deputy Mayor of Banjul City Council, envisions a future where, through the Ostend-Banjul partnership, Banjul Beach becomes the most visited beach in the coming years.
“For the sustainability aspect, we are looking to add more security here, it’s good that I’m here with the security commissioner as well, so this is something we will be tabling at the council to see how best we can improve on the security.
Hopefully, with the next years to come with this partnership and with brilliant ideas coming on board, we can make this beach the most visited beach in all of the beaches in the Gambia,” He Said.
The Deputy Mayor of Ostend City Council urged the people of Banjul to actively participate in tree preservation for long-term sustainability.
“It is very unique actually what we are doing here because you don’t see it a lot around the world, but it is something that is very unique and is very important. What we are doing here in Banjul is planting coconut trees on the beach, and we do the same in Ostend too. We plant herbs on the beach also to protect our beaches and to create bumps, but that is very important because the coconut trees form like a kind of tapestry underneath the sand, and they keep the sand where it is and that is very important,” she said.
Continuing their exploration, the delegation visited the “Greening the Inner City of Banjul” project, where over six hundred trees have been planted within Banjul. This initiative not only beautifies the city landscape but also acts as a countermeasure against climate change, coastal erosion, and desertification.