A win-win partnership between the European Union and Senegal in favor of climate action and integrated coastal zone management.
The State of Senegal represented by Mr. Daouda Ngom, Minister of the Environment and Ecological Transition and Mr. Jean-Marc Pisani, Ambassador of the European Union (EU) to Senegal received, today, the work of dredging and rehabilitation of the Somone Lagoon ecosystem. This work will positively improve the living environment of residents and users of the lagoon, who, thanks to a regenerated mangrove ecosystem, will be able to continue and strengthen their tourist activities, oyster farming and fishing. This work freed the natural flow of water which had been hampered by unsuitable construction, and dredged the main channels threatened by silting. They have thus made it possible to restore all of this Community Marine Protected Area to its productivity and to preserve its splendor.
DUE Senegal 2024
Coastal areas face major threats, which are aggravated by climate change, notably through rising sea levels, erosion, ocean acidification and the spread of extreme climatic episodes. The EU and Senegal have therefore set up a program to support the Ministry of the Environment and Ecological Transition in the implementation of integrated management plans on the Petite Côte, in Sine Saloum and in Casamance, taking into account environmental and climatic issues as a priority.
More than 3.5 billion FCFA (nearly 5.3 million euros) have been mobilized to work towards the establishment of integrated management of coastal zones on a national scale. This contribution is part of the European initiative of the Global Alliance against Climate Change (GCCA+). It is materialized today by the reception of the dredging and rehabilitation works of the Somone ecosystem.
DUE Senegal 2024
Mr. Jean-Marc Pisani, EU Ambassador to Senegal declared on the occasion of this event: “This Somone lagoon – and the rehabilitation work carried out within the framework of our EU – Senegal partnership – is a perfect illustration of our common and shared vision on the fundamental aspects of Climate, the preservation of Biodiversity and Sustainable Development. There is no better place to demonstrate the strength and vivacity of the partnership between Europe and Africa, and to illustrate that our respective commitments are kept, that our ambitions in the face of the climate challenge are intact."
The Minister of the Environment and Ecological Transition, H.E.M Daouda Ngom, declared: “This work aims to enable the restoration of the coastal ecosystem of Somone while ensuring the maintenance of current socio-economic activities. and to allow a gradual return to the basic hydrological functioning of the Somone watercourse. Restoring the balance of the Somone river would allow, with the flushing effect, to have deeper channels and less salty water and thus facilitate the regeneration of the mangrove. Maintaining ecological units and their connectivity was one of the major challenges. Thus, the actions were carried out according to a #Nature-based solutions# approach to guarantee the sustainability of the achievements as well as the preservation of biodiversity and ecosystems around which all socio-economic activities in the area revolve.”
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Pour plus d’informations, veuillez contacter :
Rose C. Kane
Responsable media et information
Délégation UE au Sénégal
Tél : 77 558 08 27