Environment
The Gambia
Climate
tropical; warm, wet season (June through November); cooler, dry period (November to May)
Land use
other
15.4% (2023 est.)
forest
22% (2023 est.)
agricultural land
62.6% (2023 est.)
agricultural land: arable land
arable land: 43.5% (2023 est.)
agricultural land: permanent crops
permanent crops: 0.7% (2023 est.)
agricultural land: permanent pasture
permanent pasture: 18.5% (2023 est.)
Urbanization
urban population
64.5% of total population (2023)
rate of urbanization
3.75% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)
Waste and recycling
municipal solid waste generated annually
193,400 tons (2024 est.)
percent of municipal solid waste recycled
13% (2022 est.)
Environmental issues
deforestation resulting from slash-and-burn farming; desertification; contamination of water; diseases transmitted through water
Total water withdrawal
municipal
41.2 million cubic meters (2022 est.)
industrial
21.2 million cubic meters (2022 est.)
agricultural
39.2 million cubic meters (2022 est.)
Carbon dioxide emissions
total emissions
537,000 metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)
from petroleum and other liquids
537,000 metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)
Particulate matter emissions
34.9 micrograms per cubic meter (2019 est.)
Total renewable water resources
8 billion cubic meters (2022 est.)
International environmental agreements
party to
Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands, Whaling
signed, but not ratified
Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban