It is an ambitious project that Senegal has just carried out in order to slow down the advance of the sea and the sand in the coastal villages of the northern region of Dakar. At the initiative of the authorities, the State has just planted a wall of trees on 180 km of coastline.
In addition to preserving the environment, this natural barrier also has the advantage of protecting neighboring villages and allows farmers to increase the production of fruits and vegetables.
The country’s authorities have preferred to use filao, which is a tropical tree capable of stopping desertification. The planting of these trees began about fifty years ago, between Dakar and Saint-Louis. This region north of Dakar was threatened with extinction. The lifespan of the filao being twenty-five years, the country will be obliged to constantly renew this forest of approximately 9000 hectares.
To do this, each year, 50,000 new trees will be planted and nurseries will be set up by farmers in the region under the management of the Ministry of Water and Forests. This agricultural land provides the country with 80% of fruits and vegetables. When the tree is no longer viable, it is cut down, turned into charcoal and resold.
This large wooded forest will effectively strengthen the region’s economic activity to the delight of all its inhabitants. Remember that this gigantic project has allowed the restoration of more than 3,000 hectares of land thanks to the planting of nearly 2 million trees. The project is as important for the country’s agricultural production as it is for the preservation of the coastline.
Many countries around the world are affected by coastal erosion which is a very serious environmental problem.
Senegal, which has 700 kilometers of coastline, remains particularly affected by the effects of climate change. The coastal villages of the northern region of Dakar in Senegal are constantly threatened by the advancing sea and sand.
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