The Director General of the Department of Forestry, Lieutenant-Colonel Salifo Corr, has warned that illegal sand mining in forest reserves poses a serious threat to The Gambia’s environment and will not be tolerated.

Speaking exclusively to Gambiana, Mr Corr said sand mining in forest areas is strictly regulated and can only be allowed after thorough environmental assessments are conducted by relevant institutions.

“Normally, when you want to do sand mining, there is a process you have to go through. An environmental impact assessment must be done, involving the NEA, zoology experts and the Forestry Department,” he explained.

He said the department carefully assesses whether proposed mining activities will cause erosion, land degradation or harm to nearby communities before granting approval.

“If we believe that the area you want to mine will cause more harm than good, definitely you will not be allowed to do it,” Corr stressed.

According to him, rampant and unregulated sand mining is a major contributor to deforestation, as it weakens forest structures and accelerates erosion.

“When everybody wants to be a sand miner, then there will be nothing left in the forest,” he warned.

Mr Corr said the Forestry Department is not targeting individuals but enforcing regulations to ensure environmental sustainability.

“We are not doing this to fight anybody, but to make sure regulations are respected so that people can live in harmony with their environment,” he said.

He added that without strict control, forest reserves would be destroyed, worsening climate change impacts such as flooding, extreme heat and soil erosion.

By Adama Makasuba