 Project for the Management and Restoration of Degraded Lands in the Groundnut Basin Republic of Senegal Ministry of Environment, Protection of Nature, Reservoirs and Artificial Lakes

PRESENTATION OUTLINE I. Project Description  Objectives  Intervention area  Implementation strategy II. Outcome III. Lessons learnt and Way Forward

Issues Senegal: a Sahelian country located in the westernmost area of the continent, extending over km² with a population of 11 million inhabitants, approximately 60.5% rural, characterized by:  the degradation of its natural resources.  population growth rates of 2.9% in urban areas and 2.1% in rural areas  Over 65% of the land (12,711,000 ha) are degraded, due among others to a trading economy based mainly on groundnut mono-cropping, soil exhaustion, the absence of fallow and the degradation of the vegetation cover, particularly in the groundnut basin. PROJECT DESCRIPTION

PROJECT OBJECTIVES, DURATION AND COSTS PROGERT Objective: Catalyze sustainable land management using a landscape approach in order to combat land degradation and reduce poverty. Duration:5 years Effective start-up date:1 October 2007 Budget: GEF: US$3,655,728 UNDP: US$500,000 Government: - Cash: US$623,000 - In-kind: US$778,112

PROGERT INTERVENTION AREA SENEGAL’S GAZETTED FORESTS Protected areas

STRATEGY & INSTITUTIONAL ARRANGEMENT  The basic strategy is the “landscape approach”, a holistic, participatory approach taking into account the geographic, technical, institutional, social and economic dimensions.  It is applied through a thematic and zonal process.

Local Project Unit (LPU) Chief & Technicians Louga CRs, CADLs & Technical Services LPU Chief & Techni- cians Thiès LPU Chief Expert in microproject management &Technicians Diourbel LPU Chief & Technicians Fatick Reinforced LPU Chief Participation Expert Technicians Kaolack CRs, CADLs & Technical Services Consultation Frameworks Regional Development Agencies Decentralized Technical Services / NGOs Project Steering Committee (MEF -MEF Project Coordination Unit (PCU) Coord/Exp SE/Ass/Fin/Acctng/Supp MEPNBRLA /DEFCCS

MAIN ACCOMPLISHMENTS

Management of tillable land fertility  Elaboration of 6 out of 15 local development plans for enhanced integration of sustainable land management;  Establishment of 135 ha of ecologically sustainable fields for demonstration, out of a target of 200 ha;  Evaluation of carbon sequestration potential of the project’s 15 operational sites;  Restoration of 270 ha of saline lands, i.e. 50% of the target.

Sustainable use of lands and pastures  Establishment of five pastoral units for a total of 55,000 ha  Enclosure and participatory management of 2,200 ha of community or gazetted forests, i.e. 30% of the target;  Creation of 100 km of fire-breaks in the Louga and Kaffrine regions, i.e. 50% of the target;  Establishment of a Monitoring & Evaluation and capitalization scheme.

Promotion of Sustainable Livelihoods  Creation of two revolving credit schemes for the population – Village Savings and Credit Banks – aimed at supporting income-generating activities linked to sustainable land management.

LESSONS LEARNT AND WAY FORWARD

 The PROGERT institutional location at decentralized services level promotes exchanges between decision- makers and the population within enhanced partnerships, for a more global vision transcending administrative limits with greater focus on ecogeographic entities and creating forums around memoranda.  The natural resources management models developed by the project promote greater accountability on the part of the local actors; this requires an intervention extending over a period of at least ten years.

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