Senegal: fragile coasts need integrated climate action

Senegal has 700 km of coastline, as well as two major river systems, where three-quarters of the population live and most economic activities (including agriculture, fisheries, industries and tourism) are concentrated. Recently, the Senegalese economy as a whole has witnessed improvements. However, climate change is threatening the country’s littoral zones and dynamic areas with higher rates of coastal erosion, flooding in low-lying areas, salinisation of soils and groundwater, reducing the number of mangroves, the loss of arable and grazing land, and less water availability.

Coasts are a particularly fragile space that require proactive protection against the risk of erosion. The growth in economic activities and the construction of numerous infrastructures, including industrial ones along the Senegalese coast, have only aggravated this phenomenon. The mangroves in the regions of Sine-Saloum and Casamance are exceptionally valuable to the locals. They protect birds and act as fish hatcheries, thereby providing food and timber for energy purposes, income-generating activities for women, and protection from storm surges and rising sea levels. Due to their extraordinary capacity for carbon sequestration, up to four times more than traditional forests, mangroves can bring extra income through international carbon markets.

In 2013, initial support from the GCCA helped to lay the groundwork for Integrated Coastal Zone Management (ICZM) to effectively combat coastal erosion and to prepare several concrete coastal protection actions, including dikes and soft protection works. The project evaluation has shown that the ICZM approach is appropriate for addressing coastal climate problems.

The second phase of the GCCA+, which started in 2019, aims to strengthen integrated climate action in Senegal, in line with the socio-economic issues and natural hazards persisting in coastal areas. It proposes to support institutions in their climate actions, particularly in ICZM; improve local climate resilience through field actions (Petite Côte, Sine-Saloum and Casamance) to be implemented by civil society organisations together with communities and local authorities; and  improve and manage knowledge and communicate on climate issues, with a focus on coastal areas.

The project is aligned with Senegal’s policy on adaptation and, to a lesser extent, mitigation of the effects of climate change, as set out in the nationally determined contribution, which includes a specific focus on coastal areas. Coastal protection measures should be initiated by the local authorities themselves and should also reinforce local ICZM strategies. This project is being managed with the Ministry of the Environment and Sustainable Development and more specifically the Directorate for the Environment and Classified Establishments.

Links:

• EU GCCA+ Review of Climate Issue N°8 : What is the future for the Sahel?