Mr. Gassama, I was rushing to get some sleep when I posted the piece. Thank you for pointing out a very vital part of the exercise which I omitted, i.e the beach restoration process using sand from external sources. What is meant here is that the sand spits and lagoons created at the Mile4-5 and around Wadner Beach areas will not be used as a source (which the consultant considered as a possible option)."External" is used here to mean sand other than these sand spits. No, we are not going to transport sand from the Sahara but rather to use a new technology invented for beach nourishment and sustainability currently in use in Denmark and Ghana using sand deposit from the Ocean floor just at the mouth of the River. The sand d eposits have been surveyed and the volume quantified. The system works as a gradual sand nourishment process, sucking the sand from the Ocean floor and depositing it at the pre-determined sites as identified in the zoning exercise. The collosal sum is an 'estimate', the actual cost will depend on the tendering procedure, implementation etc. and the long time frame of 30 months may even be an underestimation given our capacity problems in The Gambia, but it takes account of the tender, supervision and defect liability phases of the project. If the project can be implemented in less than 30 months, all the better. Sidi Sanneh ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- To unsubscribe/subscribe or view archives of postings, go to the Gambia-L Web interface at: http://maelstrom.stjohns.edu/archives/gambia-l.html You may also send subscription requests to [log in to unmask] if you have problems accessing the web interface and remember to write your full name and e-mail address. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------