Sensitisation on sulphur reduction in vehicle fuels

As part of efforts to implement The Gambia Environmental Action Plan (GEAP), the government of The Gambia, through the National Environment Agency (NEA) and the department of state for Energy, has convened a forum centering on the reduction of sulphur in vehicle fuels.

The forum took the form of a workshop, coming at a time when efforts are being redoubled in tackling the effects of Climate Change. In her opening remark, Nancy Niang, acting permanent secretary, deputizing for the secretary of state for Forestry and the Environment, Momodou Kotu Cham, recalled that The Gambia Environment Action Plan (GEAP) was adopted in 1992 as a blue print for the sustainable management of the country’s natural resources and environment.

The GEAP thus became the main policy document to guide them in this regard. She noted that in the past 15 years tremendous progress had been registered in its implementation.

"You are indeed aware that air-pollution in many cities in developing countries, The Gambia included, is reaching alarming proportions. You may therefore wish to note that one of the components causing this air pollution is sulphur," she stated, describing sulphur as a material that contribute in decreasing air quality, imposing negative environmental effects.

According to Mrs Niang,  the urgent need to reduce the sulphur contents in vehicle fuels in The Gambia means that "under the dynamic and visionary leadership of HE the president, Professor Alhaji Yahya Jammeh, The Gambia government strives  to put in place the following strategies:

developing legislation for the sub-sector which includes the establishment of a legal and regulatory framework for the whole segment of the downstream activity; develop standards for the products to be used;

 strategize important options using one important agent, who would be licensed to be importing only low sulphur content products and all marketing companies be allowed to deal directly with such importer; monitor and enforce the standards through the establishment of a standard laboratory for testing for compliance before importation.

For her part, Mrs Jane Akuma, UNEP representative, said the levels of sulphur in diesel fuels in Africa are unacceptably high when compared to sulphur reduction efforts made globally.

She went on: "The good news is that it would be relatively easier to implement a low sulphur strategy for The Gambia, as an oil importing country.

I am happy to note that the discussion today will also be easier, as I recall at the last meeting we had on the elimination of lead, transporters were already asking for targets to reduce sulphur in diesel as they already were aware of the benefits."

In his welcoming remarks, Momodou B Sarr, Executive Director of NEA, said that the health hazards and harm to the environment caused by sulphur oxide emission resulting from burning fossil fuels with high sulphur content are well documented.

With the rise in living standards in our country, he noted, more cars are being driven on our roads. According to Mr Sarr, very soon the air pollution in certain urban areas such as the Westfield Junction area could very well reach the same alarming levels as in heavily polluted cities elsewhere in the world.

He however noted that such an assumption can hardly be substantiated with real data due to the fact that the monitoring equipment of air quality that NEA had placed at Westfield Junction and other strategic locations   had been destroyed. He said they still could not replace them because of the high cost.

"If funds are made available, the NEA can re- start   monitoring and make available to the public monitored data from these locations," he said.