Ecolum

12/03/2026

CAN Africa strongly condemns the current situation in Iran and stands in full solidarity with the people of Iran and the people of the Middle East who continue to suffer the consequences of this escalating conflict.

Read more here: https://can-africa.org/can-africa-statement-on-the-escalating-conflict-in-iran-and-the-middle-east/

03/03/2026

The conference also served as a platform for celebrating successes achieved under the Bloomberg Philanthropy project, which has supported multiple community-based climate initiatives led by women and youth. As updates and experiences were shared by project beneficiaries. These stories showed how small-scale interventions, when driven by women, could ripple outwards to transform entire communities. Women farmers spoke about embracing climate-smart agriculture practices that improved both productivity and environmental conservation. Young innovators described how they launched recycling and renewable energy startups that not only provided green jobs but also reduced waste and reliance on fossil fuels. These testimonies reinforced the message that empowering women and girls is not just about representation, but about unlocking real solutions to real problems.

In reflecting on these insights, ECOLUM acknowledged the importance of documentation and accountability. A central outcome of the conference will be the production of a comprehensive white paper capturing the deliberations, strategies, and recommendations that emerged. This document will serve as a roadmap for policymakers, development partners, and civil society organizations seeking to mainstream gender inclusivity into climate and environmental governance.https://www.ecolum.org/ecolum-strengthens-advocacy-for-gender-responsive-climate-solutions/ G20 Global Land InitiativeWetlands InternationalInternational Climate Change Development InitiativeNational Environment Agency Gambia @

ECOLUM Strengthens Advocacy for Gender-Responsive Climate Solutions Leave a Comment / Uncategorized / By Site Admin The city of Banjul recently hosted the Women and Girls Climate Conference, a landmark event organized by the Young Africans Network for Global Goals under the Bloomberg Philanthropy pr...

16/01/2026

Congratulations to our abled Baboucarr Nyang for a

We are pleased to announce that Baboucarr Nyang has been appointed as Regional Coordinator of CAN Africa.

In this role, Baboucarr will provide strategic leadership to advance its strategic priorities, strengthening partnerships with members and allies, and deepening the network’s commitment to climate justice, people-centred solutions, and a just transition for Africa.

Congratulations, Baboucarr, and welcome to the role.

01/11/2025

https://www.ecolum.org/strengthening-partnerships-ecolum-meets-with-unicef-NaNational Environment Agency GambiaMinistry of Environment-MECCNARG20 Global Land InitiativeWetlands InternationalInternational Climate Change Development InitiativeGlobal Environment Facilityollowers@

Strengthening Partnerships: ECOLUM Meets with UNICEF Gambia Leave a Comment / Press Release / By Site Admin Earlier this week, the ECOLUM leadership, led by our Executive Director Hon. Abdoulie Njai and accompanied by our Communications Director, Mr. Amadou Wurry Jallow, held a fruitful and insightf...

13/09/2025

𝐄𝐂𝐎𝐋𝐔𝐌 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐍𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐄𝐧𝐯𝐢𝐫𝐨𝐧𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐀𝐠𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐲 𝐅𝐨𝐫𝐠𝐞 𝐒𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐠𝐢𝐜 𝐀𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐄𝐧𝐯𝐢𝐫𝐨𝐧𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐥 𝐒𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐛𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐲

Ecology & Environmental Luminaries (ECOLUM) is pleased to announce the formal signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with The Gambia's National Environment Agency Gambia (NEA).

This strategic partnership establishes a collaborative framework to jointly promote sustainable environmental governance, enhance national climate resilience, and deepen community engagement. Our combined efforts will focus on key areas including environmental education, policy reform, project implementation, and legislative advocacy.

The signing ceremony, held on Thursday at the NEA headquarters, marks a significant milestone in our mission to drive positive ecological change. ECOLUM was represented by our Team Leader, Hon. Abdoulie Njai, National Assembly Member.

"We are grateful to the NEA for this partnership and commend their demonstrated commitment to the nation's environmental goals," said Hon. Njai. "In our experience engaging with government institutions, the NEA stands out for its responsiveness and dedication, making them an ideal partner for this critical work."

This collaboration underscores our shared vision for a sustainable and resilient future for all Gambians. We look forward to a fruitful partnership that yields tangible results for our environment and our communities.

Gambia InternationalGlobal Environment Facilityity Gambia ProjectG20 Global Land InitiativeInternational Climate Change Development InitiativeWorld Intellectual Property OrganizationationMinistry of Environment-MECCNAR

11/09/2025

𝐄𝐧𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐖𝐞𝐭𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐆𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐧𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐓𝐡𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡 𝐏𝐚𝐫𝐥𝐢𝐚𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐲 𝐋𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐩

At the Ramsar COP15 Convention, held under the theme of advancing global wetland conservation, ECOLUM was represented in the high-level panel “Enhancing Wetland Governance Through Parliamentary Leadership.”

The event was convened under the G20 Global Land Initiative and jointly hosted by the Global Changemaker Academy for Parliamentarians (GCAP) and the United Nations System Staff College (UNSSC). The panel brought together parliamentarians and policymakers from across Africa and beyond, underscoring the central role of legislative leadership in translating multilateral commitments into national action. Wetlands International Ministry of Environment-MECCNARInternational Climate Change Development InitiativeNational Environment Agency GambiaGlobal Environment FacilityThe Convention on Wetlands

Follow link for full article : https://www.ecolum.org/enhancing-wetland-governance-through-parliamentary-leadership/

08/08/2025

“As Ramsar COP15 unfolds in Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe, the urgency in the air is not just ecological it’s moral. This is not another ceremonial gathering for well-worded communiqués. It is a front-row seat to the slow collapse of the world’s most vulnerable ecosystems, and a test of whether the global community especially developed countries will finally wake up to what frontline communities have known for years: that wetlands are not just biodiversity havens; they are life systems holding our climate, economies, and food chains together.”
Wetlands InternationalThe Convention on WetlandsWACA Gambia ProjectGlobal Environment Facility

At COP15 Zimbabwe, We Call on the Global North to Partner, Not Patronize Leave a Comment / Research & Publications / By Site Admin As Ramsar COP15 unfolds in Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe, the urgency in the air is not just ecological it’s moral. This is not another ceremonial gathering for well-worded...

25/07/2025

𝐄𝐂𝐎𝐋𝐔𝐌 𝐚𝐭 𝐖𝐞𝐭𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐬 𝐂𝐎𝐏𝟏𝟓

The curtain rose on in Victoria Falls with thunderous purpose world leaders echoing a unified battle cry to halt the vanishing of Earth’s wetlands, which have shrunk by 22% since 1970 and disappear three times faster than forests.
Against this crisis, host nation Zimbabwe ignited hope with a historic pledge: 250,000 hectares of wetlands restored by 2030 and five new Ramsar sites to shield these ecological lifelines. As Secretary-General Musonda mdeclared, COP15 marks where "𝐩𝐨𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐥 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐬𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐦𝐬 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐨 𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐞𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐲 𝐬𝐚𝐥𝐯𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧."

At the heart of this global momentum stands our Founder and Executive Director Hon. Abdoulie Njai Member of Parliament (The Gambia), African Icon Awardee and GCAP 2024 Luminary. On July 30 at 18:30 local time, he steps into the Kalala Room for the pivotal panel “𝐄𝐧𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐖𝐞𝐭𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐆𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐧𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐓𝐡𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡 𝐏𝐚𝐫𝐥𝐢𝐚𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐲 𝐋𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐩,” co-convened by the UNCCD’s G20 Global Land Initiative and United Nations System Staff College.

As a (GCAP) alumnus, Hon. Njai brings fire-tested wisdom from The Gambia’s trenches. He will dissect how legislation becomes lifelines spotlighting his defense amid fresh assaults on Tanbi Wetland National Park where factories flout suspension orders his message rings urgent: "𝐖𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐫𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐬 𝐟𝐚𝐥𝐥, 𝐜𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐝𝐫𝐨𝐰𝐧. 𝐏𝐚𝐫𝐥𝐢𝐚𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐲 𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐚𝐠𝐞 𝐦𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐝𝐞𝐟𝐲 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐛𝐮𝐥𝐥𝐝𝐨𝐳𝐞𝐫𝐬." Joined by Kenyan and Malawian peers, he’ll unveil strategies to weaponize policy for wetland survival.

Wetlands are more than ecosystems they are the archives of culture, as seen in Eswatini’s sacred Reed Dance; the shields against climate chaos, storing twice the carbon of forests; and the silent engines of a $𝟑𝟗-𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐚𝐧𝐧𝐮𝐚𝐥 𝐥𝐢𝐟𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐞 𝐢𝐧 𝐰𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐬𝐞𝐜𝐮𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐥𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐡𝐨𝐨𝐝𝐬. Yet underfunding and apathy persist: 𝐰𝐡𝐢𝐥𝐞 $𝟓𝟓𝟎 𝐛𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐲𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐥𝐲 𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐫𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐦, 𝐰𝐞 𝐢𝐧𝐯𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐩𝐞𝐧𝐧𝐢𝐞𝐬. Zimbabwe’s leadership assuming the Ramsar Presidency for 2025–2028 proves Global South nations are rising to fill the void.


Follow ECOLUM’s COP15 journey (www.ecolum.org) as we turn policy into protection from Victoria Falls to Banjul’s endangered shores.

G20 Global Land InitiativeWorld Intellectual Property OrganizationWetlands InternationalThe Convention on WetlandsGlobal Environment FacilityInternational Climate Change Development InitiativeWACA Gambia Project

24/07/2025

𝐄𝐀𝐑𝐋𝐘 𝐖𝐀𝐑𝐍𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐀𝐃𝐕𝐈𝐒𝐎𝐑𝐘 𝐑𝐄𝐏𝐎𝐑𝐓 𝐎𝐍 𝐁𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐊-𝐈𝐍𝐒 𝐃𝐔𝐑𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐑𝐀𝐈𝐍𝐘 𝐒𝐄𝐀𝐒𝐎𝐍