SUMMARY REPORT ON OZONE RESEARCH THE GAMBIA
The Ozone Unit of the National Environment Agency of the Gambia is supervised by the
Technical Services Network Directorate of its Ozone related activities including the monitoring
of Ozone Depleting Substances. For Gambia to play a more important role in the monitoring of
atmospheric Ozone its research capabilities needs to be boosted so that atmospheric Ozone
can be monitored from ground stations. For this to be a reality the Ozone Unit will have to
forge a link with local and international organizations to acquire the necessary skills and inputs
to establish such research stations.
The Ozone Unit is indeed planning to collaborate with the United Nations Environment
Programme (UNEP) ,the United Nations Industrial Development Organizations (UNIDO) World
Metrological Organization (WMO) and the United Nations Environment programme to set up
Ozone monitoring centers .In a bid to full filling this aspiration the Ozone Unit has set up an
National Ozone Committee on Ozone Depleting Substances ( NACODS) to ensure that Ozone
related issues are monitored country wide and new innovations and developments initiated to
contribute to the international data base on atmospheric Ozone monitoring.
OZONE MONITORING CURRENT STATUS
The Gambia at the moment does not have a scientific Ozone Monitoring center or centers that
can monitor the Ozone Layer from the ground none the less for the Ozone office to attain its
aims and objectives and to fully integrate with the international community on the monitoring
of the Ozone Layer it is important the country gets fully equipped Ozone Monitoring centers in
all the major regions.
We monitor imports of Ozone Depleting Substances by collecting Data from importers and
refrigeration technicians country wide.
The Data is reported to the Ozone Secretariat, the Ozone Action and the Multilateral Fund
Secretariat.
FUTURE OZONE MONITORING PLANS
The national Committee on Ozone Depleting Substance in collaboration with the National
Ozone Unit has plans to set up Ozone monitoring centers to enable the unit carry out
monitoring programmes of the Ozone Layer and Gases that are vented into the atmosphere
The Ozone Unit plans to seek for funding to build the capacities of Ozone Unit Staff and other
stake holders like refrigeration technicians to be able operationalize Ozone Monitoring centers
and help in the reporting of the Data to the United Nations Environment Programme and the
World Metrological Organization.
The Unit plans to conduct study tours to countries or parties that already have successful
monitoring mechanism to learn from their experts on the monitoring of stratospheric Ozone
Layer
In a bid to building the capacity of our Local Expertise we plan to cooperate internationally with
developed countries to transfer their technologies to not only Gambia but countries with the
West African region.
FUTURE RECOMMENDATIONS
Funding of major and sustainable research on atmospheric Ozone is hindered by limitation in
funds, so we are recommending that some funding is sought for article five countries to enable
them carry our scientific research on Stratospheric Ozone.
Stratospheric research data is almost nonexistent in the West Africa Sub Region, therefore the
United Nations Environment programme needs to come up with an incentive to organize sub
regional training programmes on how to get research centers to facilitating the collection of
Atmospheric Data.
For international organizations like World Metrological Organization identify successful Ozone
Research Centers to enable third world countries visit such countries to learn from them their
initiatives in the field of stratospheric research.
CONCLUSION
Securing funds to purchase computers and build the capacity of local staff and other stake
holders to facilitating sustainable Stratospheric Ozone Monitoring and yearly reporting to the
Ozone Secretariat of the United Nations Environment Programme.