The urgency of restoring salty lands in Senegal
Senegal faces a major environmental challenge: the restoration of salty lands. Resulting from several factors including marine intrusion, climate aridity, lack of drainage and poor irrigation practices, salinization affects 45% of the country's 3,800,000 ha of arable land (LADA, 2009). As such, within the framework of the multi-actor partnership project on financing and insurance of climate risks (PMA-FRACC) supported by the NGO ENDA ENERGIE and financed by the German government, actions are being undertaken to raise awareness and act on this crucial question.
With a structure that contains a high salt content, this category of soil is hardly suitable for agriculture. This reduces the capacity of local communities to produce their livelihood. In addition, soil salinization affects biodiversity by altering natural ecosystems. Slowly evolving phenomena which threaten the country's food security and exacerbate the vulnerability of rural populations, the majority of whom depend on agriculture with a sharp drop in yields per hectare and the reduction of arable land.
As part of the project, salt land restoration initiatives are underway. This includes implementing adapted agricultural techniques to reduce soil salinity, planting salt-tolerant plant species, as well as awareness programs to encourage sustainable agricultural practices. Additionally, efforts are being made to encourage research and development of innovative solutions for saltland management.
Saltland restoration requires an inclusive approach involving state actors, NGOs, local communities and the private sector. The PMA-FARCC is a concrete example of collaboration and positive impact on the restoration of salt lands in Senegal and allows the implementation of sustainable solutions that benefit both the environment and local populations.
