Is the energy sector in the Gambia sustainable?

The in depth assessment of the Gambia’s energy sector, undertaken in Part One of this National Energy Policy document, shows that the energy resource base of the country is limited and the supply of energy is unreliable and unsustainable.

Why is energy important in the Gambia?

The Gambia Government is committed to the ECOWAS White Paper on energy for all by 2030 and the UN Sustainable Energy For All (SE4ALL) initiative, both of which are crucial for the attainment of the MDGs and similar objectives. The energy sector is a crucial support to economic development. Energy is an important input in all sectors of the economy.

Does the Gambia need a balance between energy and economics?

Future changes in population, technology, and economic growth are unknown; however, it is clear that a balance between energy, economics, and the environment will be needed for sustainable development to occur in The Gambia. A growing dependence on energy carries significant costs of its own.

How can energy infrastructure be improved in the Gambia?

Improving energy infrastructure is consistent with the EU "Agenda for Change" policy, which identifies energy as an essential driver of economic growth. The project will contribute to reducing the existing electricity supply gap in The Gambia using sustainable solar energy resources.

Why is access to sustainable sources important in the Gambia?

Access to sustainable sources has a profound impact on multiple aspects of the Gambians such as poverty, problems of health, gender inequity and environmental degradation; it relates not only to physical infrastructure (e.g. electricity grids), but also has to be clean, reliable, affordable and commercially viability.

How does the Gambia protect the environment?

The Government of The Gambia has attempted to protect the environment by prohibiting the production of charcoal in the Gambia and by making the cutting of green trees for use as fuel wood illegal. However, it is still not evident that most fuel supply as such has really played a major role in the degradation of the natural forest cover.