A workshop on Communication Plan and Strategy Development was held at the Baobab Holiday Resort, Bijilo, from the 25 - 26 May 2007. It was organised by the Integrated Coastal & Marine Biodiversity Management (ICAM) Project. The workshop comes at a time of growing interest in critical issues relating to the protection and conservation of the ecosystem and biodiversity.

In recent times, the ICAM project, which is an immense initiative under the Department of Parks and Wildlife Management (DPWM), provided a range of opportunities to draw the populations’ mind to the sense of having positive behaviour towards environment issues.

As the workshop facilitator and ressources person, Birima Fall, Communication Officer at West Africa Marine Ecoregion (WAMER) Office, based in Dakar, provided to participants an opportunity to learn about the mechanisms of communication in rural communities and on access to information on the environment. The WAMER’s consultant spared no efforts to share his expertise on communication strategies favouring better management of natural resources as well as analyze and compare the content of environmental messages.

Participants seized the occasion to tackle the ongoing initiatives and challenges relating to wildlife management in The Gambia, promote participation, identify priority areas and create a network of stakeholders.

During the interactive sessions, the most important phase of the workshop, participants were given the chance to draw a communication plan. As a form of training, the session itself was an occasion for participants to understand how to design a communication across the various levels that need to be dealt with.

Finally, the workshop resolved to adopt recommendations that are essentially meant to help the ICAM Project, with the assistance of WAMER, to be able to map an adequate communication plan, as it must help to attain conservation goals. A network of stakeholders was established at the end of the workshop. Its members are drawn up from the environment and media sectors.