Fifteen thousand trees to fight against coastal erosion

Louise Anne Marie Gomis, 28 years old, carries water in buckets and pours it over the green sprouts emerging between the dunes. "It is important to water, especially during the dry season. "These plants protect us from the advancing sea and prevent the sand from invading the road and our homes," she proudly states. Despite being born nearby, in Yembeul, and being accustomed to this unique ecosystem since childhood, she was never taught its significance.  Today, this young woman is part of the team of volunteers responsible for reforesting the site, another step in a monumental multi-decade project to which the Covenant of Mayors in Sub-Saharan Africa (PACMAS III, referred to by its French acronym) has joined, with the support and funding of the European Union. 

 

The crew, composed of twenty young people, works under the watchful eye of captain Seynabou Diop Fall, head of the Keur Massar sector at the Directorate of Water, Forests, Hunting, and Soil Conservation of the Ministry of Environment of Senegal. "The volunteers are essential; not only have they embraced the project, but we also rely on them to raise awareness in their neighbourhoods," she says. Casuarinas of various ages, some recently planted and others long-established, dot the dunes along the coastline, silently testifying to an old battle. Read the full interview with captain Diop Fall here .

 

This story begins almost one hundred years ago. The interdunal depressions near the coast in the current departments of Pikine, Guediawaye, and Keur Massar, known as ‘’the Niayes’’, began to fill with gardens thanks to the abundance of fresh water near the surface. However, the population settling there, and their agricultural activities were threatened by the sand from the mobile dunes. Therefore, in 1925, the first efforts to stabilise the dunes began, and in 1948 an enormous reforestation project was launched. This action was extended along the entire coastline from Dakar to Saint Louis, with hundreds of thousands of casuarina specimens, a fast-growing Australian species that perfectly adapted to the coastal environment.

 

Captain Diop Fall, who has researched that initiative, ratifies that it was a success. However, today we see few remnants of those plantations, especially in the surrounding areas of Dakar. Two factors have disrupted the natural balance: demographic pressure, evident in illegal sand extraction for construction, excessive tree felling, and intensive land occupation; and the effects of global warming, which cause sea level rise and the coastline to advance toward the continent. "The threats are multiple," says captain Diop Fall, "which is why understand people need to understand that protecting the ecosystem is also protecting the population. Everything is interconnected," she explains.

 

Half a century ago, the departments of Pikine, Guediawaye, and Keur Massar were small suburban areas on the outskirts of Dakar. Today, after decades of sustained demographic growth fueled by rural exodus from the interior of the country, they are robust cities that together host 1.5 million people. The rapid urbanisation of the area has generated enormous challenges and threatens to disrupt the natural balances of zones that, until a few years ago, had a low housing density. The Pikine City Council has been aware of the dilemma and, in 2020, developed its Sustainable Energy Access and Climate Action Plan (SEACAP) with the support of the CoM SSA. The SEACAP includes measures to address the vulnerability of these three cities to coastal erosion and flooding. 

One of the priority measures identified in the SEACAP is to reforest casuarinas and stabilise the dunes along the entire northern coastline. This project emerged from an agreement between Pikine, Guediawaye, and Keur Massar, considering that Keur Massar was part of the Pikine department until 2021. Specifically, this involves the six rural communes that border the sea: Golf Sud, Sam Notaire, Ndiareme Limamoulaye, Wakhinane Nimzath, Yembeul Nord, and Malika, with a total population of nearly half a million people. In order to materialise this priority measure identified in the SEACAP, funding has been sought from various donors both nationally and internationally. In this context, the Senegalese central government has joined the efforts by providing funding for dune conservation and restoration activities. Additionally,, the Ecological Transition Program (PROTEC) of the Spanish Agency for International Development Cooperation (AECID) has agreed to provide financial support of 350,000 Euros for the development of a dune rehabilitation and restoration initiative on the northern coast of Keur Massar.

 

One of the significant urban changes that the band of casuarinas, planted in this area in the mid-20th century, has undergone is the construction, between 2012 and 2014, of a road parallel to the coast (the VDN3) which, in some areas, cuts through the dunes themselves. The road is highly necessary from the perspective of connectivity and mobility for many residents, but it has caused evident deterioration of the forest band. This, combined with degradation from deforestation, land occupation, and rising sea levels, necessitated a reforestation project. “The road itself suffers from sand invasion,” says captain Diop Fall, “maintaining a dense vegetation cover minimises sand entry into the lanes used by vehicles and contributes to better and more cost-effective maintenance of the infrastructure.”

 

All volunteers in the reforestation plan receive a small stipend of about 90,000 CFA per month (around 135 euros). After completing their task, they march in formation under Sergeant Mamadou Lamine Bojang, head of the Malika brigade at the Directorate of Water, Forests, Hunting, and Soil Conservation of the Ministry of Environment of Senegal. This military unit requires a certain level of discipline, even for volunteers. “When they arrive, they seem unsure and struggle to keep up, but as they understand the importance of their task, become more aware and encourage each other,” says Sergeant Bojang.

 

With the support of the AECID and through the support of the CoM SSA, the company GEO-ID, in collaboration with Tragsa , conducted a study to collect documentation on coastal interventions, identify ongoing actions, and propose solutions for stabilising dunes along a nine-kilometer stretch. The research concluded that casuarinas, making up 92% of the species due to decades of reforestation, remain suitable but are not the only option.

 

In fact, the study proposes the gradual introduction of two additional species: the coconut palm (Cocos nucifera), found in nearly all tropical regions of the world, and the sea grape (Coccoloba uvifera), native to the Caribbean. The plan is to plant in 11 identified plots or islets within the dune system that are considered to have high potential, located in Yembeul Nord (4), Malika (2), Wakhinane Nimzatt (2), Golf Sud (1), Sam Notaire (1), and Ndiareme Limamoulaye (1). Each plot varies in size, but together they total just over 77,000 square meters.

To carry out the proposal, it will be necessary to plant around 15,000 trees, including about 10,000 sea grapes, more than 4,000 casuarinas, and around 800 coconut palms. The budget for this initiative exceeds 63 million CFAS (approximately 96,000 EUR). “These dune stabilisation solutions, based on nature itself, are a relevant, economically viable response with multiple benefits, especially for the preservation of biodiversity,” the study states.

Recently, part of the large 681-hectare forest perimeter in Malika was declassified and lost its protected status. Located in the new department of Keur Massar, this change responded to local demands for space due to population growth and the need for public services. This reflects the tension between human expansion and environmental preservation. "Conserving the dunes also means protecting the population and new infrastructure," says captain Diop Fall.

A drip irrigation system has been proposed to ensure that the trees planted as part of the project are watered, as as well as the utilisation of existing small hydraulic structures in the area, such as wells and small ponds. Another key aspect is the physical protection of the replanted areas with a vegetative fence to shield young plants from strong coastal winds. This also requires site monitoring to prevent theft by unscrupulous individuals.

In summary, the project involves planting, protecting, and raising awareness about the importance of conserving the sandy coastline environment. These dunes not only stop the sea's advance but also provide a habitat for birds and reptiles, creating a sandy haven to disconnect from the city and enjoy nature by the sea. The dunes of Pikine have it all.