Case study: Adaptation to coastal erosion in vulnerable areas in Senegal
Since 2001, Senegal has been one of the Least Developed Countries (LDCs) with a GDP estimated at US$ 1,600 in 2008. Its economy, essentially agricultural, has known heavy constraints such as desertification and climate variability which are compromising its sustainable development prospects. These constraints are characterized by severe land degradation, a drop in forest productivity and biodiversity. To that can be added coastal erosion which affects strategic sectors of the Senegalese economy (fishing, agriculture and tourism). It threatens also the livelihoods of an important part of the Senegal’s population living along the coast.
To reduce the incidence of coastal erosion on tourism and fishing infrastructure, as well as on habitats and the environment, Senegal, through the National Implementing Entity (NIE), CSE(1), submitted a project of adaptation to coastal erosion in vulnerable areas of the country. The project which was approved and financed by the Adaptation Fund (under the Kyoto Protocol), is in line with the national priorities as identified under the National Adaptation Program Action (NAPA). It will be implemented along the “Petite Côte” in Joal, Rufisque and Saly. The “Petite Côte” includes the country’s largest tourist infrastructure which is located at Saly and the major national fishing port of Joal which is surrounded by a rich mangrove ecosystem. This ecosystem serves as both a potential source of energy (food, wood, etc.) for the population and of biodiversity for many species of animals
and fish. It also helps mitigate the rising levels of salinity that are harmful to agriculture.
The main activities identified in this project are the rehabilitation of the dam at Joal to boost rice production and reduce salinization of arable lands; the creation of fish smoking facilities suitable for reducing of pollution and pressure on timber resources; the restoration of the infrastructure around the fishing port of Joal-Fadiouth; the awareness raising and capacity building for local people on adaptation techniques concerning climate change in particular, in relation to coastal erosion.
The way the Senegalese project is designed and presented justifies the approval process of the Adaptation Fund Board. The program of coastal protection is a priority of the NAPA. Coastal erosion is a blight which constantly threatens coastal settlements. In the opinion of an important part of civil society, this project is a result of reports on emergencies which are known by all actors, among which, those linked to climatic variation. For that purpose, stakeholder consultations have taken place during the elaboration of the project and inputs arose from the communities and associations considered.
The execution of the project is undertaken by different organizations with diverse backgrounds: government, CSOs, CBOs, research institutions, etc. The different Entities chosen for implementation
(the Department of Environment and Classified Institutions (DEEC) under the authority of the environment ministry, the NGO Green Senegal and Joal’s association called “Dynamique Femme”) will closely work with the local communities which will undertake several tasks in the execution of the project depending on their capacities.
Involvement of CSOs in the Adaptation project
The populations and the local authorities have declared that the project is a response to their concerns. For some actors, it is an opportunity which will allow them to escape threats connected to the rising level of the sea and to save their livelihoods. As regards the implementation, the debate focuses on how the populations will be associated in this process, in other words on the social impacts in terms of job creation for the populations, the capacity to manage the existing infrastructure and the system of sustainability. Besides, the populations would like to be able to play fully their role as possible.
The involvement of the association “Dynamique Femme” and the NGO “Green Senegal” as executing entities, even if it needs to be widened and deepened, is greeted by civil society and is perceived by this one as a positive signal of openness and partnership with the government for adaptation to climate change in Senegal.
To reduce the incidence of coastal erosion on tourism and fishing infrastructure, as well as on habitats and the environment, Senegal, through the National Implementing Entity (NIE), CSE(1), submitted a project of adaptation to coastal erosion in vulnerable areas of the country. The project which was approved and financed by the Adaptation Fund (under the Kyoto Protocol), is in line with the national priorities as identified under the National Adaptation Program Action (NAPA). It will be implemented along the “Petite Côte” in Joal, Rufisque and Saly. The “Petite Côte” includes the country’s largest tourist infrastructure which is located at Saly and the major national fishing port of Joal which is surrounded by a rich mangrove ecosystem. This ecosystem serves as both a potential source of energy (food, wood, etc.) for the population and of biodiversity for many species of animals
and fish. It also helps mitigate the rising levels of salinity that are harmful to agriculture.
The main activities identified in this project are the rehabilitation of the dam at Joal to boost rice production and reduce salinization of arable lands; the creation of fish smoking facilities suitable for reducing of pollution and pressure on timber resources; the restoration of the infrastructure around the fishing port of Joal-Fadiouth; the awareness raising and capacity building for local people on adaptation techniques concerning climate change in particular, in relation to coastal erosion.
The way the Senegalese project is designed and presented justifies the approval process of the Adaptation Fund Board. The program of coastal protection is a priority of the NAPA. Coastal erosion is a blight which constantly threatens coastal settlements. In the opinion of an important part of civil society, this project is a result of reports on emergencies which are known by all actors, among which, those linked to climatic variation. For that purpose, stakeholder consultations have taken place during the elaboration of the project and inputs arose from the communities and associations considered.
The execution of the project is undertaken by different organizations with diverse backgrounds: government, CSOs, CBOs, research institutions, etc. The different Entities chosen for implementation
(the Department of Environment and Classified Institutions (DEEC) under the authority of the environment ministry, the NGO Green Senegal and Joal’s association called “Dynamique Femme”) will closely work with the local communities which will undertake several tasks in the execution of the project depending on their capacities.
Involvement of CSOs in the Adaptation project
The populations and the local authorities have declared that the project is a response to their concerns. For some actors, it is an opportunity which will allow them to escape threats connected to the rising level of the sea and to save their livelihoods. As regards the implementation, the debate focuses on how the populations will be associated in this process, in other words on the social impacts in terms of job creation for the populations, the capacity to manage the existing infrastructure and the system of sustainability. Besides, the populations would like to be able to play fully their role as possible.
The involvement of the association “Dynamique Femme” and the NGO “Green Senegal” as executing entities, even if it needs to be widened and deepened, is greeted by civil society and is perceived by this one as a positive signal of openness and partnership with the government for adaptation to climate change in Senegal.
- Green Senegal
GREEN SENEGAL is a non-governmental organization specializes in the fields of development research, training, development and assistance to grassroots community organizations, in collaboration with training and research institutions, and development partners.
With its long training and supervision experience in rural areas, it is more involved in the promotion of sustainable farming techniques and technologies in rural areas, through training and communication. GREEN Senegal works also with coastal communities to value fishing resources in Rufisque and Saly.
Its support to local communities in promoting small-scale farming, managing natural resources and protecting environment, justify, among other facts, its involvement in the Senegal project on adaptation to coastal erosion in vulnerable areas of Senegal. Besides, GREEN is a member of the National Committee on Climate Change. Related to the project, it will implement mainly communication and training activities with communities.
- “Dynamique Femme”
“Dynamique Femme” is a federal association of more than fifty (50) women associations based in the locality of Joal-Fadiouth. It works to unify these associations around main issues of development and to promote women’s leadership. “Dymanique Femme” contributes to reduce poverty and improve women’s way of life by developing program activities like transformation of fishing products, restoration of littoral with tree plantation, restoration of the mangrove, organization of information and awareness-raising workshop on climate change, biodiversity and desertification.
GREEN SENEGAL is a non-governmental organization specializes in the fields of development research, training, development and assistance to grassroots community organizations, in collaboration with training and research institutions, and development partners.
With its long training and supervision experience in rural areas, it is more involved in the promotion of sustainable farming techniques and technologies in rural areas, through training and communication. GREEN Senegal works also with coastal communities to value fishing resources in Rufisque and Saly.
Its support to local communities in promoting small-scale farming, managing natural resources and protecting environment, justify, among other facts, its involvement in the Senegal project on adaptation to coastal erosion in vulnerable areas of Senegal. Besides, GREEN is a member of the National Committee on Climate Change. Related to the project, it will implement mainly communication and training activities with communities.
- “Dynamique Femme”
“Dynamique Femme” is a federal association of more than fifty (50) women associations based in the locality of Joal-Fadiouth. It works to unify these associations around main issues of development and to promote women’s leadership. “Dymanique Femme” contributes to reduce poverty and improve women’s way of life by developing program activities like transformation of fishing products, restoration of littoral with tree plantation, restoration of the mangrove, organization of information and awareness-raising workshop on climate change, biodiversity and desertification.
For more than five years "Dynamique Femme" works closely with the Department of the Environment. Moreover in 2005, this association had strongly contributed to the organization of the Environment World Day at the national level in Joal.
The commitment of its members in protecting environment and the experience capitalized in the sustainable development of its locality have contributed to the involvement of "Dynamique Femme" in the project of adaptation to coastal erosion in vulnerable areas of Senegal and the implementation this one in Joal, in particular on the issues of awareness-raising, information, training, reforestation and littoral development.
The two civil society organizations have a favorable opinion with their peers and a good community basis that confers on them recognition by the populations at the local level. The potential in raising awareness of these organizations concerns all categories of actors of the coast, particularly women, local residents, fish wholesalers and fishermen. As initiative contained in the main sections of the NAPA (which is a consensual national document on planning), the participation in the process of implementation of the project needs to be improved.
For that purpose, the agreement seems to be in favour of a participation which would involved a mechanism of management of the project in which would bring together, besides the government, local authorities, civil society and the technical and financial partners. Its advantage lies in the variety of key actors and guarantees more credibility for the control of management (efficiency, effectiveness) and transparency than this type of pattern. The existence of local steering committees is more or less a proof of the organizational reinforcement concerning the institutional management of the project on the ground.
In this sense the project has to include in its implementation an articulation with the struggle against poverty; together with measures that allow populations to engage in other activities to improve their income and livelihood. So the acceptability of the project goes inevitably through listening to the populations, the use of local labour and the contribution of local development structures.
In this beginning of the implementation of the project, the debate remains limited and remains to be fed with interactive information to arouse really the reaction of the civil society actors, even if the conditions of participation remain vague for the majority of civil society organizations.
Capacity building for civil society organizations and communities on climate change issues is essential for an effective participation. It includes access to information on biophysics and socioeconomic consequences on climate change, best practices in adaptation, negotiations on climate change and financial opportunities. To meet efficiently their missions, the CSOs Executing Entity must be trained or strengthened in development of social marketing strategies, social communication, lobbying and advocacy. For the association “Dynamique Femme” particularly, there is a need for technical support in financial and administrative management. So, capacity building is a demand for the success of this project and organizations will need human resources well trained in adaptation to climate change to meet the project objectives; among others the establishment of infrastructure to protect the coastal area, management of knowledge and possible conflicts in the implementation of the project.
From adaptation to coastal erosion to local development
The main concern expressed by the project is the protection of the coast which constitutes a pretext to take into account the other priorities of the NAPA. It covers both urban (Rufisque and Saly) and rural (Joal) areas and prioritizes sectors such as fishing, agriculture and tourism. But whatever the sector, the project must favour the most vulnerable segments of the population: women, small farmers, small-scale fishermen confronted with the reduction of fishing resources; the destruction of houses and infrastructure, the salinization of lands, the reduction of the agricultural lands and the degradation of the mangrove ecosystem.
The populations of Joal, particularly women, pleaded for a long time for the rehabilitation of the antisalt dike which allowed the retention of rainy water upstream for rice growing and downstream prevented the salt from rising. It is important to underline that in this area, agriculture is caught up in a double process of salinization and intense urbanization which reduces the availability of arable lands. This loss of function of lands affects agricultural productivity, and consequently, the food security and the way of life of populations. In spite of this fact, a regeneration of lands thanks to the rehabilitation of the anti-salt dike which asks for heavy investments could also encourage also truck farming in the area.
The “Petite Côte” is very important in the national tourist industry and provides a base for the development of coastal cities like Rufisque, Saly, and Mbour which have considerable fishing infrastructure. There seems to be an important political attention being paid to coastal erosion as well as a need for action at the national level.
For that purpose, the project plans to reduce the effects of the coastal erosion, to build protective infrastructure, to plant trees, to restore the mangrove ecosystem, to promote the use of fish smoking rooms suitable for reducing pollution and pressure on timber resources. As for the government, it has committed to draw up a law on the coast to set general principles related to the protection and valorization of the coastal and maritime areas.
Conclusion
The project “Adaptation to coastal erosion in vulnerable areas of Senegal” aims at helping to stimulate local development whose pillars are fishing, tourism and agriculture. It must however be integrated into the dynamics of municipal planning. In addition, it should also consolidate existing initiatives in environmental protection (mangrove reforestation, sanitation of the locality, etc.) and development.
In doing so, the approach could promote greater interaction between different actors representing the local authorities or from vulnerable communities and facilitate the achievement of project objectives.
Therefore, it is necessary to ensure the participation of the populations and civil society actors as well as their knowledge of the project which constitute prerequisites for an effective implementation of the activities.
Within the framework of the follow-up of the projects financed by the Adaptation Fund of the Kyoto Protocol, ENDA with its network(2) partners linked to the application of these projects at international and national levels developed a program to strength capacity of civil society actors and to monitor the aforementioned fund. The network makes sure, particularly in the recipient countries, that the mechanisms established or to set up guarantee the involvement of populations and that the assigned funds contribute to the strategies of poverty reduction and more specifically that the effects benefit the most vulnerable populations.
Senegal and its NIE have been acting as a success story example for other countries to follow. However, the fruitful implementation of its project, which aims at addressing “Adaptation to Coastal Erosion in Vulnerable Areas in Senegal”, should not appeared as opportunity, but also as a responsibility.
The commitment of its members in protecting environment and the experience capitalized in the sustainable development of its locality have contributed to the involvement of "Dynamique Femme" in the project of adaptation to coastal erosion in vulnerable areas of Senegal and the implementation this one in Joal, in particular on the issues of awareness-raising, information, training, reforestation and littoral development.
The two civil society organizations have a favorable opinion with their peers and a good community basis that confers on them recognition by the populations at the local level. The potential in raising awareness of these organizations concerns all categories of actors of the coast, particularly women, local residents, fish wholesalers and fishermen. As initiative contained in the main sections of the NAPA (which is a consensual national document on planning), the participation in the process of implementation of the project needs to be improved.
For that purpose, the agreement seems to be in favour of a participation which would involved a mechanism of management of the project in which would bring together, besides the government, local authorities, civil society and the technical and financial partners. Its advantage lies in the variety of key actors and guarantees more credibility for the control of management (efficiency, effectiveness) and transparency than this type of pattern. The existence of local steering committees is more or less a proof of the organizational reinforcement concerning the institutional management of the project on the ground.
In this sense the project has to include in its implementation an articulation with the struggle against poverty; together with measures that allow populations to engage in other activities to improve their income and livelihood. So the acceptability of the project goes inevitably through listening to the populations, the use of local labour and the contribution of local development structures.
In this beginning of the implementation of the project, the debate remains limited and remains to be fed with interactive information to arouse really the reaction of the civil society actors, even if the conditions of participation remain vague for the majority of civil society organizations.
Capacity building for civil society organizations and communities on climate change issues is essential for an effective participation. It includes access to information on biophysics and socioeconomic consequences on climate change, best practices in adaptation, negotiations on climate change and financial opportunities. To meet efficiently their missions, the CSOs Executing Entity must be trained or strengthened in development of social marketing strategies, social communication, lobbying and advocacy. For the association “Dynamique Femme” particularly, there is a need for technical support in financial and administrative management. So, capacity building is a demand for the success of this project and organizations will need human resources well trained in adaptation to climate change to meet the project objectives; among others the establishment of infrastructure to protect the coastal area, management of knowledge and possible conflicts in the implementation of the project.
From adaptation to coastal erosion to local development
The main concern expressed by the project is the protection of the coast which constitutes a pretext to take into account the other priorities of the NAPA. It covers both urban (Rufisque and Saly) and rural (Joal) areas and prioritizes sectors such as fishing, agriculture and tourism. But whatever the sector, the project must favour the most vulnerable segments of the population: women, small farmers, small-scale fishermen confronted with the reduction of fishing resources; the destruction of houses and infrastructure, the salinization of lands, the reduction of the agricultural lands and the degradation of the mangrove ecosystem.
The populations of Joal, particularly women, pleaded for a long time for the rehabilitation of the antisalt dike which allowed the retention of rainy water upstream for rice growing and downstream prevented the salt from rising. It is important to underline that in this area, agriculture is caught up in a double process of salinization and intense urbanization which reduces the availability of arable lands. This loss of function of lands affects agricultural productivity, and consequently, the food security and the way of life of populations. In spite of this fact, a regeneration of lands thanks to the rehabilitation of the anti-salt dike which asks for heavy investments could also encourage also truck farming in the area.
The “Petite Côte” is very important in the national tourist industry and provides a base for the development of coastal cities like Rufisque, Saly, and Mbour which have considerable fishing infrastructure. There seems to be an important political attention being paid to coastal erosion as well as a need for action at the national level.
For that purpose, the project plans to reduce the effects of the coastal erosion, to build protective infrastructure, to plant trees, to restore the mangrove ecosystem, to promote the use of fish smoking rooms suitable for reducing pollution and pressure on timber resources. As for the government, it has committed to draw up a law on the coast to set general principles related to the protection and valorization of the coastal and maritime areas.
Conclusion
The project “Adaptation to coastal erosion in vulnerable areas of Senegal” aims at helping to stimulate local development whose pillars are fishing, tourism and agriculture. It must however be integrated into the dynamics of municipal planning. In addition, it should also consolidate existing initiatives in environmental protection (mangrove reforestation, sanitation of the locality, etc.) and development.
In doing so, the approach could promote greater interaction between different actors representing the local authorities or from vulnerable communities and facilitate the achievement of project objectives.
Therefore, it is necessary to ensure the participation of the populations and civil society actors as well as their knowledge of the project which constitute prerequisites for an effective implementation of the activities.
Within the framework of the follow-up of the projects financed by the Adaptation Fund of the Kyoto Protocol, ENDA with its network(2) partners linked to the application of these projects at international and national levels developed a program to strength capacity of civil society actors and to monitor the aforementioned fund. The network makes sure, particularly in the recipient countries, that the mechanisms established or to set up guarantee the involvement of populations and that the assigned funds contribute to the strategies of poverty reduction and more specifically that the effects benefit the most vulnerable populations.
Senegal and its NIE have been acting as a success story example for other countries to follow. However, the fruitful implementation of its project, which aims at addressing “Adaptation to Coastal Erosion in Vulnerable Areas in Senegal”, should not appeared as opportunity, but also as a responsibility.
Emmanuel Seck
Program Manager | ENDA TM
Energy Environment Development Program
BP 3370 Dakar, Senegal
Tel: 221 338 22 24 96
Fax: 221 338 21 75 95
Email: eneda.energy@orange.sn / ssombel@yahoo.fr
(1) The first ever accredited National Implementing Entity
(2) Adaptation Fund NGOs Network coordinates by Germanwa
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