Gambia develops clean cooking strategy
The initiative, supported by the EU and Netherlands, aims to promote safer, cleaner cooking solutions across the nation.
Gambia is creating a National Clean Cooking Strategy to promote safer and more sustainable cooking methods. This effort is part of the Regional Clean Cooking Action in West Africa (ReCCAWA) programme, which supports clean cooking technologies in 12 West African nations. A national workshop was held on Wednesday at the Sir Dawda Kairaba Jawara International Conference Centre to discuss the strategy's development.
The programme, funded by the European Union and the Netherlands Ministry of Foreign Affairs through ECOWAS, targets demand, supply, and policy for clean cooking. Carmen, representing the Netherlands Enterprise Agency (RVO), stated that clean cooking is vital for the health of women and children, environmental protection, and business growth. She highlighted that women and children suffer from toxic smoke and that firewood use pressures forests.
The Deputy Head of the EU Delegation to The Gambia, Raphaël Brigandi, linked clean cooking to environmental protection, women's empowerment, and private sector development. He expressed hope that the workshop would lead to a strong national strategy guiding future policies and actions. The strategy aims to improve health, protect the environment, empower women, and create business opportunities.
Why it mattersGambia's women and children are vulnerable to harmful smoke from traditional cooking methods, and the country's forests face pressure from firewood use.