20th February, 2024.
Agenda of the Meeting
- Introduction of RECC-LUM Project-by Professor Sidat Yaffa
- Description of the Work Plan of RECC-LUM Project and where we are as of now. Dr. Mamma Sawaneh
- Finance Issues- by Mrs. Gloria Okafor
The meeting started with individual prayers. The meeting was attended by UTG Vice Chancellor, three Deans of Schools, The UTG Registrar, UTG Director of Quality Assurance, some Administrative Staff of UTG, and RECC-LUM staff. The Project Director Professor Sidat Yaffa gave a brief introduction about the Project to the UTG Management by elaborating on the importance of the RECC-LUM Project. He stressed on the specific objective which is to investigate and generate empirical data that may provide new knowledge and support policy formulation on climate change and land use management in The Gambia, paying a special emphasis on the role played by the use of renewable energy in the process.
The Project will develop tools for a new land use policy and facilitating the development of a curriculum on Land use Management related to climate change at University of The Gambia.
The UTG Management was informed that this two-year Feasibility Study is solely funded by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) through Hamburg University of Applied Sciences (HAW Hamburg).
Presenting the Project Work Plan, Dr. Mamma Sawaneh, a Senior Researcher at the Project gave a description of the Work Plan and how it is going as of now. He elaborated that the Project is a tripartite consortium (Hamburg University of Applied Sciences, University of The Gambia, and WASCAL Competence Centre, Burkina Faso). It has 5 Work Packages and University of The Gambia is focusing on Three Work Packages (ie. WP1-Literature Review and Analysis; WP2- Land Use and Renewable Energy: and WP 3- Local Administration of the Feasibility Study in The Gambia). Hamburg University of Applied of Sciences is in charge of Overall Coordination and Administration of the Project while WASCAL Competence Centre is responsible for Visibility and Data Management.
Dr. Sawaneh also informed the meeting that the Project successfully had its kick-off meeting online in September 2023, commenced Literature Data Collection and completed the preliminary field visits to the Case Study sites in The Gambia. The first Literature Review manuscript is currently under review.
Mrs. Gloria Okafor the Project Accountant spoke about the financial aspects of the Feasibility Study. She said the Project cost is about 380,530.00 Euros and the administrative cost for the University of The Gambia is 60,750 Euros that is yet to be received by her office but as soon as the funds are available, it will be transferred to UTG bank account. She said there is no financial issues since the start of the Project.
The Vice Chancellor of the University of The Gambia, Professor Herbert Robinson, expressed his excitement about this Project and thanked the Project Coordinator Professor Sidat Yaffa for his tireless efforts towards the development of the UTG/WASCAL Office and UTG at large. He also emphasized the importance of the Feasibility Study because Land Use Management is a great concern in The Gambia. The VC expressed his happiness that the Feasibility Study will tease out challenges in land use management in The Gambia that will eventually lead to the formulation of a Land Use Policy in The Gambia which will be first of its kind in The Gambia. He also emphasized that the Study will also- generate imperical data that could be used to develop a curriculum in Land Use Management at UTG. He finally encouraged Team Gambia to work hard for the success of this Feasibility Study.
Meeting Minutes Taken By:
Ms. Batorr Ceesay
Secretary (RECC-LUM Project)
