The Gambia civil society demands climate justice and debt relief

Civil society organizations in The Gambia, including Global Platform and ActionAid, have held marches to demand climate justice during the Global Week of Climate Action. Activists highlighted that while the nation contributes less than 0.04 percent to global greenhouse gas emissions, it faces severe consequences, including erratic rainfall and diminished agricultural productivity.

Protesters linked the climate crisis to economic instability, calling for debt relief and arguing that the global north should bear more responsibility for climate damages. Ousman Baldeh of Global Platform noted that the country is often forced to take loans to manage debts and climate-related crises that it did not cause.

In addition to street demonstrations, advocacy efforts have moved toward legislative engagement. Discussions with the National Assembly have focused on the Maputo Declaration on Agriculture and Food Security, which encourages African Union member states to allocate at least 10 percent of national budgets to agriculture and rural development to ensure food security and poverty reduction.