Gambia Validates $12 Million Climate Resilient Banjul Initiative

The Gambia has taken a significant step in strengthening its response to the climate crisis with the validation of a new $12.17 million project — the Climate Resilient Banjul Initiative (CLIMB).

The project, funded by the Global Environment Facility (GEF) through its Least Developed Countries Fund (LDCF) with implementation support from the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), was formally launched in August 2025 after a multi-stakeholder validation workshop in Banjul.

The National Environment Agency (NEA) will spearhead the implementation of CLIMB across the Greater Banjul Area (GBA), one of the most climate-vulnerable regions in the country. With its low-lying coastal terrain, the GBA faces rising sea levels, recurrent flooding, and saltwater intrusion — threats that jeopardize food security, infrastructure, and the livelihoods of nearly 60% of the population.

Climate impacts already strain national resources, consuming about a quarter of The Gambia’s annual road maintenance budget.

Speaking at the validation event held at the Sir Dawda Kairaba Jawara Conference Centre, Dr. Dawda Badjie, Executive Director of NEA and Gambia’s operational focal point for the GEF, underscored the urgency of the intervention.

“This project is a challenge for all of us. It is either we do it and raise the bar, or we miss the opportunity. The Gambia is serving as a benchmark, showing that urban resilience projects of this scale can be done on the continent,” Badjie said.

According to Dr. Badjie, CLIMB is the first large-scale urban climate resilience initiative of its kind in Africa and will focus on transforming the urban landscape of Greater Banjul through ecosystem-based adaptation, sustainable infrastructure, and improved urban planning. He noted that human-induced challenges such as poor land use and excessive concretisation have worsened flooding and heat stress, making it critical to rethink development practices.

Representing the Ministry of Environment, Climate Change and Natural Resources, Deputy Permanent Secretary Baboucarr Zaidi Jallow highlighted the growing climate threats facing the country, including saltwater intrusion that has already devastated rice farms.

“The climate emergency we face is unmistakable and urgent. The CLIMB Project will embed climate resilience into our urban laws, protect wetlands and mangroves, and strengthen early warning systems. It is designed as a blueprint for urban survival,” Jallow said.

He reaffirmed the government’s commitment to achieving its nationally determined contribution (NDC) of cutting greenhouse gas emissions by 49.7% by 2030 while restoring tens of thousands of hectares of mangroves.

The initiative is expected to deliver multiple benefits, including:

• Strengthening urban resilience through ecosystem-based adaptation and planning reforms.
• Protecting wetlands and mangroves as natural buffers against flooding and sea-level rise.
• Developing sustainable infrastructure aligned with climate-smart urban design.
• Enhancing early warning systems to safeguard communities from extreme weather events.
• Pioneering urban adaptation models that can inspire replication across Africa.

The validation workshop brought together representatives from government ministries, UN agencies, NGOs, private sector actors, and local authorities. Stakeholders commended the project as a timely and ambitious intervention that centers community voices while aligning with The Gambia’s National Climate Change Policy.

As implementation begins, The Gambia is positioning itself not only as a frontline responder to the impacts of climate change but also as a continental leader in innovative urban climate resilience.