Àrea Metropolitana de Barcelona

Poverty, which particularly affects women and young people, and the impact of environmental phenomena are two of the main problems in the metropolitan area of Banjul (The Gambia). The situation has recently been aggravated by more frequent natural disasters (especially floods), rising sea levels due to climate change, pressure on urban services due to rural-urban migration and the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic. In this context, public markets are strategic area for transformation, both socio-economically and in terms of waste management and Covid-19 control.

The overall objective of this project is to contribute to environmental rights and ensure a healthy environment in Tallinding. The project seeks to move towards a model of sustainable municipal market management, aligned with human and environmental rights and including strategies to help mitigate the climate emergency.

The actions focus on the Ya Fatou Njie market in Tallinding community, municipality of Kanifing, part of the Banjul metropolitan area with a population of 500,000. Kanifing Municipal Council (KMC) is the local government authority responsible for waste management in the municipality.

The intervention focuses on the four following areas:

• Capacity building among the groups involved (e.g. City Council, technical staff and vendors) to promote management that is efficient, participatory, sustainable and sanitary (sanitation and Covid-19 measures) in the Ya Fatou Njie market.
• Incorporating strategies and structures to ensure environmentally friendly sanitation practices (water, waste and renewable solar energy) in the market.
• Awareness raising for the Tallinding community and suppliers on waste management and the use of solar energy for environmental sustainability in the markets.
• Defining a viable, democratic and environmentally sustainable governance model for the YaFatou Njie market, replicable in other markets in the metropolis with similar characteristics.