Training Agricultural Extension Workers, Traditional Communicators, Women and Youth Change Agents on Effective Communication of Climate Information Products and Services Basse 11 - 12 June 2025

The World Food Programme (WFP) and the Ministry of Environment, Climate Change and Natural Resources (MECCNAR) have secured a five-year funding package from the UNFCCC Adaptation Fund (AF) for the project entitled “Rural Integrated Climate Adaptation and Resilience Building Project (RICAR),” which aims to enhance the adaptive capacity of rural populations in The Gambia by supporting climate-resilient and diversified livelihoods intended to achieve an integrated risk management approach to address the interface between climate change, agriculture, and food security

Delivery of climate services is an area that has received much attention in The Gambia of late. The National Framework for Climate Services for The Gambia (NFCS-GAM) is the country’s coordination framework for the provision of meteorological and climate information adapted to the needs of users, and the ability to reach end-users to better inform their decision-making, both at the national, regional and community levels. The GEF-funded Early Warning Phase II project has had success in testing and delivering climate services down to the last mile. Therefore, the AF project is to complement the efforts of the Early Warning Phase II (EWS) project.

The training engaged agricultural extension workers, traditional communicators and women and youth change agents to equip them with knowledge and skills to be able to communicate climate information products and services to the farming community in a user-friendly way.

This will strengthen the Climate Services for Agriculture (CSA) and provide farmers and communities within the AF Project intervention sites with climate information to help them better prepare for climate risks. It will also complement the Department of Water Resources in its effort to disseminate timely climate information to reach users.

Second session of similar workshop was held at Bansang Hydrological Headquarters 13 - 14 June 2025.

The opening ceremony was chaired by RICAR Regional Coordinator Mr. Lamin Marong, welcome remarks was given by Deputy Governor Central River Region Mr. Sainey Mbye RICAR National Coordinator Aji Oulay and official opening statement by Director of Water Resources Mr. Lamin Mai Touray.