Kataba, Bignona, Ziguinchor - Senegal

Mangrove restoration is the main component of the project, and aims to reduce the salinisation of coastal land, particularly rice fields, which makes them unsuitable for cultivation. The planting of mangrove trees (Rhizophora and Avicennia) also helps to increase economic activities linked to the mangroves, such as fishing and the production of wood energy for cooking. Between February 2022 and February 2023, young people from the region were heavily involved in these labour-intensive operations.

Four species are being replanted to enrich degraded natural forests: néré, Senegal mahogany, linké and gmelina. Cashew seedlings are also introduced. These fire-resistant trees, with their high economic added value, will act as firebreaks against potential bush fires. The project also involves reforestation of the tannes. These maritime marshes, located between the mangrove swamps and the mainland, can be tannes vifs (i.e. flooded) or herbaceous, depending on their location. The reforestation work carried out as part of the project concerns tannes that were formerly grassy and have now been stripped bare by intensive livestock grazing, with the aim of stabilising these ecosystems and restoring their crucial role in combating the salinisation of the land. The three species planted (eucalyptus, filao and niawli) will eventually regenerate the grass cover.

Around Kataba, local communities depend on agriculture for their daily livelihoods. They grow rice, millet, maize, cowpeas and sorghum. The agroforestry trees planted as part of the project will enable farmers to protect their crops and generate additional income by selling fruit at local markets. Our partners are training local producers in the need to include trees as an integral part of their agriculture through the creation of agroforestry systems. Various species are being introduced: fruit trees, including the detarium tree and the dene tree (Parkia biglobosa), known for the juice extracted from its fruit but also for its medicinal uses; these species will help to protect the underlying crops and provide local people with additional income from the sale of their fruit and seeds. Timber species are also planted in agroforestry, such as gmelina, Senegal mahogany (Khaya senegalensis) and linké (Afzelia africana), a local species that is in danger of extinction. These species will provide communities with timber and firewood resources, thereby avoiding the need to cut down existing forests. Linké has many applications in traditional pharmacopoeia, and will also be used to produce fodder for livestock.

At the same time, training programmes are being rolled out for local farmers. These include training in Assisted Natural Regeneration (ANR), such as identifying natural regrowth and protecting it with sheaths against livestock and bush fires.