Senegal
Environment
Most of Senegal falls within the Sahelian zone, and has irregular and uncertain rainfall and generally
poor soils. Rainfall is relatively high and dependable in the south, but in the north of the country the
climatic shift it has experienced during the past 25 years has resulted in crop and livestock production
becoming even more difficult, if not marginal.
Approximately 46% of Senegal is classified as semiarid. Much of the land is threatened with
desertification because of overgrazing, inadequately controlled cutting of forests for fuel, and soil
erosion from overcultivation. According to a UN report, at least 4.5% of Senegal's forests have been
eliminated. By 1985, the total amount of land subject to deforestation was 193 square miles. Between
1983 and 1993, an additional 4.4% of the nation's forest and woodland was lost. Dakar suffers from
such typical urban problems as improper sanitation (especially during the rainy season, when sewers
overflow) and air pollution from motor vehicles. The nation has 26 cubic kilometers of renewable
water resources with 92% used for farming activity and 3% used for industrial purposes. About 92%
of the nation's city dwellers and 65% of the people living in rural areas have access to safe drinking
water. Senegal's cities produce about 0.6 million tons of solid waste per year. Important
environmental agencies include the Ministry of Scientific and Technical Research, which is
responsible for coordinating all research and development in Senegal.
Industry and Chemicals
Sanitation is real problem in Senegal. Rubbish litters the streets and, in the wet season, the sewage
overflows and causes a lot of illness. Many cities, there is no door to door collection of rubbish.
Chemicals management issues, long recognized as an important area related to the protection of the
environment and human health are now being formally recognized within the Government of Senegal
as part of its regular budget making process. This is the result of a UNITAR/IOMC Swiss-supported
project in Senegal addressing issues of Integrated Chemicals Management. Chemicals-related
activities are to be injected into the domestic budgeting process on the following topics: chemical
hazard communication and poison control centre development. The development of draft Action
Plans following a systematic framework adapted by Senegal as part of the Project was a key reason
for the increased attention now being paid to these topics on a government-wide basis. This action
sets a precedent for Senegal, which receives significant resources for chemicals management from
bilateral and multilateral sources external to the country.
Chemical degradation: Salting affects about 9% of degraded lands. Senegal River delta, the lower
river basin in Casamance, the Gambia, The Sine, Saloum and Niayes. Acidification affects 50% of
farmland in the inner Casamance region, the Senegal River basin, the Sine-Saloum and the Niayes
areas.
Water and Sanitation
Annual internal renewable water resources: 2,933cu m Per Capita (1998); Sector withdrawals domestic 5%; Industrial 3%; Agricultural 92%
Biodiversity
Senegal has six national parks, covering about 4% of the country's total area; game in forest reserves
is classified by law as partially or completely protected, but poaching remains a problem. As of 2001,
11% of Senegal's total land area was protected. In 2001, 13 mammal species and 6 bird species
were endangered. Fifteen types of plants were threatened with extinction. Endangered species
include the western giant eland and four species of turtle (green sea, olive ridley, hawksbill, and
leatherback).
UNEP Regional Office for Africa – February 2008
Wildlife populations threatened by poaching; deforesation; overgrazing; soil erosion; desertification;
over-fishing and already the Sahara oryx has become extinct in the wild
Ozone
The Government of Senegal ratified most if not all the Ozone related conventions and amendments
(the Vienna Convention and the Montreal Protocol and the various amendments to the Protocol
(London, Copenhagen, Montreal). Senegal’s Country Progamme for phase out of ODS (Ozone
Depleting Substances) approved by the Executive Committee of the Multilateral Fund. Funds were
approved by the Executive Committee for ODS phase out activities. UNEP and UNIDO are
implementing these activities.
Natural resources
Phosphates, iron ore. Unexploited deposits of gold, copper, titanium and peat.
Energy
For many years, Senegal had been trying to curb the logging that was seriously depleting the
country's forests and its limited supply of wood fuel. The government had also tried several means of
protecting the forest from the charcoal burners that supplied most of the fuel consumed by Senegal's
urban population. Government tried reforestation, establishment of plantations, the introduction of
better carbonization techniques, improved household cooking stoves to make more efficient use of
wood fuel supplies, and the substitution of wood fuels by peat, paraffin, and butane. However, these
efforts met with limited success due to financial constraints and lack of follow-up actions. The only
effort that produced a significant result was the promotion of butane as a household fuel with a
suitable stove in 1974.
Technology cooperation had allowed Senegal to diversify energy sources as well as protect the
environment. LPG is now widely used as the domestic fuel in place of wood and charcoal, reducing
deforestation. Charcoal consumption of 400,000 tones a year was reduced to about 100,000 tones a
year due to the butane programme, saving 20,000 hectares of Senegalese forests. Supply of LPG in
the 6 kg bottle became a main activity of Totalgaz in Senegal. Sales of Nopale cooking gas rose from
402 tones in 1983 to more than 22,360 tones in 1994. The bottles and the burners for the Nopale
were imported, but stands were made locally to reduce costs. The butane programme produced
productive partnerships with local people and led to more job opportunities.
Land Degradation
Over 60% of Senegalese population depend directly or indirectly on soils resources. Senegal soil
degradation is an old phenomenon: 47% of soils are unfit or barely suitable for farming; 36% have
poor to average capacity and as well as deterrent factors that limit productivity; The lost of soil
productivity emerges as the most symptomatic consequence of soil degradation Water erosion affects
77%of the degraded soils Water erosion affects 77%of the degraded soils Wind erosion affects 3% of
the degraded soils.
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