• New restoration effort targets 80,000 hectares under the SURAGGWA program

• Initiative is part of a $222 million climate-resilience plan backed by the Green Climate Fund

• Project expected to support local value chains, skills development, and land governance

Fodé Fall, secretary general of Senegal’s Ministry of Environment and Ecological Transition, announced on Monday, December 8, the launch of a new ecological restoration project aimed at rehabilitating 80,000 hectares of degraded land. According to the Senegalese Press Agency (APS), the initiative is part of the Strengthening Resilience of Africa’s Great Green Wall Program (SURAGGWA).

The program aims to restore 1.4 million hectares of degraded land across eight Sahel countries, including Senegal. It has a budget of $222 million, with 68% funded by the Green Climate Fund to boost climate resilience and combat desertification.

Although the specific allocation for Senegal and the regions targeted were not disclosed, Mr. Fall said the interventions should help develop sustainable value chains, build the capacity of local stakeholders, and strengthen environmental governance. The project adds to the country’s ongoing efforts to restore damaged landscapes.

Senegal has already committed to restoring 2 million hectares of forests and farmland by 2030 under the AFR100 African Forest Landscape Restoration Initiative launched in 2015. In the initiative’s 2023 data update, the country reported 2.3 million hectares under active restoration.

Despite these commitments, land degradation remains a serious concern. A 2024 report by the Court of Auditors estimated that 34% of Senegal’s land—about 6,860,900 hectares—shows signs of degradation. The drivers include deforestation, soil salinization, erosion, bushfires, overgrazing, and poor agricultural practices. The FAO’s latest Global Forest Resources Assessment, published in October, notes that Senegal lost an average of 15,500 hectares of forest per year over the past decade (2015–2025).

Stéphanas Assocle