Mamadou Lamine Guisse, Secretary General at the ministry of Environment and Sustainable Development (MEDD), recommended on Thursday, 29 November 2018, in Dakar, the establishment of a system of environmental monitoring, ahead of the exploitation of the oil and gas resources discovered in Senegal.
“In the context of oil and gas exploitation, environmental monitoring is a key device to better tackle negative impacts on the environment.”
“There is strong likelihood of environmental impacts with the exploitation of these resources. But what we can do is learn from the experience of other countries that are already exploiting their oil and gas resources.”
“Above all, we ought to set up a monitoring system to alert, sensitize and make necessary arrangements,” Guisse added.
He was presiding over a consultation workshop on the national integrated environmental monitoring system.
“The environmental watch allows for the gathering of information in time to alert, but especially to give the opportunity to the authorities to make the necessary arrangements and take adequate decisions in time.”
“If there is no monitoring, authorities will grope in the dark and won’t be able to make the right decisions,” he pointed out.
“We’re witnessing the negative consequences of climate change around the world. In Senegal, we have seen enough of it,” he continued.
Guisse cited the effects of the sea and tides in Saint-Louis (North) and Cayar (West).
– APA
