Planned interventions under The Gambia’s West Africa Coastal Areas (WACA) Resilience Investment Project are expected to strengthen flood protection for more than 300,000 people living in 11 densely populated communities.

The development emerged during a field visit by the Ministry of Finance and Economic Affairs (MoFEA) to the Kotu Stream on to assess flooding, pollution and waste management challenges affecting communities along the waterway.

The MoFEA delegation was led by Permanent Secretary Baboucarr Jobe and accompanied by WACA Gambia Project Coordinator Dr. Muhammed Lamin Sanyang and his team.

The team inspected the stretch of the Kotu Stream from the Latrikinda-Sukuta Bridge to the OIC Road at Kotu, assessing conditions along the stream and the challenges faced by surrounding communities.

The visit also provided an opportunity to review planned WACA interventions and discuss the Ministry’s role in supporting their timely and effective implementation.

The planned measures are expected to provide an additional layer of protection against flooding while strengthening climate resilience in communities located along the affected areas.

The interventions are also expected to help protect livelihoods and infrastructure from the growing risks associated with flooding and other climate-related impacts.

The field assessment forms part of efforts to better understand the challenges affecting the Kotu Stream and ensure planned resilience investments respond to the needs of communities in the area.

MoFEA and the WACA project team are expected to continue working together to support the implementation of the planned interventions.

By Adama Makasuba