Transport systems are a key enabler for trans-sectorial development in The Gambia. The Gambia has a land area that stretches 450 km along the Gambia River, dividing the South and the North banks of the river, and is surrounded by the Senegal except for its 60 km Atlantic Ocean front. The national transport system contributes to geographical integration across the banks of the river and facilitates cross-border Nort-South traffic within Senegal. Strengthening the transport system will therefore also strengthen essential commercial links and reinforce access to social and economic facilities.  

The country’s transport system relies on: (i) roads (primary inter-urban trunk roads, secondary gravel surfaces roads, urban roads mainly in the Greater Banjul area), (ii) air transport with the Banjul International Airport, and (iii) maritime and fluvial transport with the Port of Banjul and the river. The Gambia National Transport Policy (2018 – 2027) highlights the key objectives for the development of the transport sector:  

• Improving access to Isolated Regions within the country,   
• Addressing the mobility needs of the growing population while urbanization rate is increasing,  
• Improving integration across transportation modes,  
• Reestablishing the river, currently under-utilized, as a backbone component of the National Transport System, 
• Overall, reinforcing safety-systems, regulations, institutional capacity fostering transport infrastructure financing and private sector involvement. 

The National Transport Policy links investments in transport with other sectoral outcomes around Trade, Agriculture, Tourism, and public / private sector relations policies.

The project aims to quantify transport infrastructure adaptation needs and provide a prioritized and evidence-based list of adaptation and resilience solutions that could be integrated in the upcoming transport infrastructure development investments. 

Learning from the implementation in Ghana, the Africa Adaptation Acceleration Program will provide technical assistance to include climate adaptation and resilience solutions in the Integrated Transport Master Plan.

• Data collection and analysis for transport assets and existing services (including spatial data on trade flows, access to healthcare, and other social and economic factors)
• High resolution spatial analysis and climate modelling of transportation infrastructure and expected hazards in different climate scenarios
• Climate Risks assessment with direct and indirect damages caused by projected climate change. This assessment will quantify financial, economic, and social damages, including impacts on women and vulnerable communities.
• Identify, appraise, and prioritize adaptation and resilience options

• Prioritized and financed pipeline of climate resilient transport infrastructure projects in the Gambia 
• Identified wins for transport sector investments that can be linked to planned investments
• A strong basis for developing tools and methodologies that can be scaled up more rapidly by other partners, including MDBs

• Assessed and quantified climate risk for transport infrastructure, mentorship, and resources to thrive
• Identified, appraised, and prioritized adaptation and resilience options
• Link the national assessment with MDB investment planning cycles and other downstream investment planning opportunities