Extreme drought is impacting agriculture, and causing food and job insecurity. More than 70% of the population is employed in the agricultural sector. Sea level rise and resulting coastal erosion is expected to cause damage to coastal infrastructure and displace a large percentage of the population living in coastal areas. Climate change also has the potential to increase land degradation that will likely increase desertification in eastern Senegal, leading to an expansion of the Sahara.[8]
Most energy in Senegal is produced from fossil fuels,[12] predominantly diesel and gas. A small portion of Senegal''s energy comes from renewable energy, such as the Manantali Dam in Mali and a new wind farm in Thiès.
Historically, Senegal was not a major producer of fossil fuels but significant discoveries in natural gas, have led to a major increase in production.[13]
The main water resources in Senegal are dependent on rainfall. Rainfall deficits and increased variability due to climate change will likely reduce aquifer recharge rates. Major population centers are already realizing saltwater intrusion into aquifers and arable land. Sea level rise and decreased rainfall will exacerbate salinity issues.[17] As more saltwater intrusion happens, this will threaten fish stock in the country.[8]
The combination of increased temperatures and decreased rainfall will likely increase desertification in eastern Senegal, leading to expansion of the Sahara.[8]
Like in other parts of West Africa, the expected extreme weather including more severe drought in the Sahel region is expected to greatly effect food security and agricultural yields.[18]
Moreover, animal herding communities, which include about 2.5 million people in the broader Sahel region, will be severally impacted, because weather variability will lead to increased overgrazing, pressure on water supplies, and subsequent effects on the economic viability of herding communities.[23] For example, in 2017, pressures on lands led to increased demand for manufactured animal feed, causing prices to skyrocket and farmers to sell large portions of their herds.[23]
In 2006, Senegal initiated a National Adaptation Programme of Action (NAPA) as part of the larger trend to create National Adaptation Plans.[18][9] A National Committee on Climate Change was appointed by presidential degree to support the program.[18] Additionally, there is a Climate Fund that is an instrument of climate finance.[17]
In 2015, Senegal released its Nationally Determined Contributions (NDC''s) that indicated climate change would be treated as a national priority.[10]
At the same time that these policies are in place, there is evidence that they are not fully being acted on. For example, an article in The Nation focused on climate justice described how a coal fire power plan was built in Bargny, Senegal, a site that had been identified by the government as a displacement location for communities displaced by sea level rise.[6]
Climate impacts in Senegal include rising temperatures, heat waves, high humidity, decreasing rainfall, and increased length and intensity of dry spells. Addressing climate change will be critical to the country''s pursuit of sustainable, low-emission economic growth.
Meanwhile, rising sea levels of up to one meter by 2100 along Senegal''s coastline will impact the country''s urban coastal zone which is home to roughly two-thirds of Senegal''s population and 90 percent of the country''s industrial production. This low-lying zone is characterized by high water tables and poor drainage systems, putting the area at risk from flooding, erosion, salinization, and impaired water quality.
A systems change approach is critical to address climate change impacts in Senegal to 1) scale up integrated water resource management; 2) increase land-use practices that decrease emissions, restore landscapes, and increase adaptability to climate change; and 3) increase the adoption of ecologically sound and socially inclusive and equitable solutions to conserve, manage, and restore forests and other lands to combat climate change while improving livelihoods and resilience.
The majority of Senegal''s greenhouse gas emissions come from the agriculture sector, largely driven by livestock production and savanna burning. The extraction of oil and gas reserves is set to start in 2024, and will likely increase domestic fossil fuel consumption. Given Senegal''s high exposure and vulnerability to climate change and in response to the Paris Agreement, Senegal is implementing mitigation and adaptation measures in its infrastructure, and priority economic sectors, ecosystems, rural communities, peri-urban areas, and cities.
The Plan Sénégal Emergent (PSE), the country''s national development strategy, also includes a collection of environmental sustainability and climate projects. The Green PSE Plan is a key tool for Senegal to transition to a more ecologically sensitive economy. Some of the plan''s goals include promoting renewable energy sources like solar and wind and accelerating green and climate-resilient growth by mobilizing green investments in the economy.
These activities will enhance resilience, productivity, and nutritional outcomes in the fishing, farming, and livestock sectors, as well as in pastoralism systems, while expanding the use of products and services to forecast floods, manage droughts, and improve public health in the face of increased climate uncertainty and weather hazards. This will be achieved through scaling up investment in the weather and climate information services value chain.
These activities increase the availability, efficient use, and equitable use of water resources by ensuring water resource governance institutions have access to high-quality data built around transparency and inclusiveness.
This activity bolsters agriculture productivity and enhances market access for high-potential value chains while integrating climate considerations from farm to market to equip smallholders with the tools and knowledge needed to more effectively withstand climate shocks.
This activity fosters horticulture value chain linkages and facilitates smallholder engagement in increasingly lucrative business deals with private sector partners, including input suppliers, microfinance institutions, banks, insurance companies, off-takers, and end-market buyers. Risk-transfer mechanisms and solar water pumping lie at the heart of these interventions to reduce energy operating costs for producers, generating adaptation co-benefits and reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
This activity supports local government entities to improve domestic resource mobilization and strengthen service delivery to citizens in key sectors, while promoting the active participation of citizen and civil society representatives in the transparent allocation and management of local resources, which also creates a platform for promoting climate-sensitive budgeting.
About Senegal climate change
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