How is climate change impacting Senegal right now?
Senegalese mangrove forest lost 31.9% of its area between 1980 – 2005 due to impacts of climate change and deforestation. Meanwhile, rising sea levels have caused massive coastal erosion, destroying homes and entire villages. More communities are at risk of disappearing, including in Gandiol where the entire village of Doune Baba Dièye was lost following the decision in 2003 to open a breach — a small canal to evacuate rainwater. This worsened the erosion in the area, eventually wiping out the entire village. A few years later, 30 homes were wiped out in Djiffer, a community in the Sine Saloum delta. The phenomenon has happened in other areas, such as Rufisque, Mbao, and Bargny, where at least 30 houses were engulfed by the sea in August 2024.
To help the country face these challenges, the non-profit organization SOCODEVI is supporting the adaptation to climate change of local communities. Their project, Natur’ELLES, funded by Global Affairs Canada, places women at the heart of these efforts, recognizing their vulnerability and critical role in sustaining local livelihoods.