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Senegal - Climate

Continuous cycles of drought and soil depletion problems have been exacerbated by sporadic locust infestations, underlining the precariousness of farming in Senegal. Depleted soils and lack of timely, affordable inputs and other constraints have seriously impacted crop production in most areas of the peanut basin and yields nationwide have been consistently low.

Approximately 40 years of drought in the Sahel has severely impacted natural resources in Senegal. Dramatic reductions in plant cover, biological diversity, and land productivity have occurred in much of Senegal north of The Gambia. Current tree-planting efforts in the sub-Sahara are estimated to be only about 10 to 15 percent of the level required to balance losses of wooded vegetation from activities such as land clearing, charcoal production, fuel collection, and brush fires. Recent patterns of below-normal precipitation have reduced the carrying capacities of affected lands. A new balance must be achieved between a relatively drier environment and the ability of the natural resource base to support agricultural and pastoral systems.

Efforts by donor groups such as the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), the World Bank, and the United Nations initially focused on an industrial plantation approach to remedy deforestation and desertification problems in Africa. Project successes were the exception rather than the rule. In a revamped approach, village-level wood lots were promoted as the panacea to Africa’s energy crisis, but this approach yielded few success stories after considerable donor spending. A third approach is now focusing on a variety of interventions (i.e., agroforestry, protection of natural regeneration, and land management) at the village and farm levels. These efforts in Senegal are being coordinated by the Waters and Forests Agency within the Ministry of Environment and Protection of Nature.

Another result of the prolonged drought is the reduction of Senegal’s already limited groundwater and surface water resources, which has severely affected agricultural production and threatened the health of rural inhabitants. Water tables have dropped an average of 20 inches (50 centimeters) per year in many regions of the country, while traditional flood plains and marsh areas have remained dry. Salinization has become a serious problem in some areas. A large portion of the government’s water budget goes to the country’s rapidly expanding urban centers, and the technology for tapping deep aquifers or for diverting river water remains prohibitively expensive for most rural communities.

Senegal has undertaken a number of initiatives to satisfy the water needs of the rural population and to develop and manage existing water resources rationally. With donor assistance, the government has promoted construction of deep bore-hole wells in selected rural communities that can provide safer and more reliable water for human consumption and promote agricultural and livestock production. The government also provides technical advice and equipment to communities to assist them in digging and repairing traditional cement-tube wells. Despite recognition of sufficient rural water supplies as a pressing national priority, inadequate water supply continues to be a major problem around which the cycle of poverty and poor health revolves. The government is not equipped to solve the problem alone, and an infusion of outside funding in this sector remains necessary.

Flooding is an annual problem in Dakar's suburban wetlands zones. The rural exodus to Dakar by migrants looking for work has greatly exacerbated the problem as newcomers illegally build houses wherever there is space. The city's canals built to channel water away from populated areas are frequently used as dumping areas for trash, and there are no comprehensive urban management and sanitation plans.

As a result, yearly rainfalls always cause some degree of flooding, dislocating populations, and bringing diseases such as cholera and malaria. The sharp increase in the urban population of Dakar is contrasted by the meager growth of its economy. The yearly rains perennially reveal the many problems of managing Dakar's urban space, particularly the lack of adequate sanitation and sewers systems and the non-enforcement building codes.

In early June 2008 unusually heavy rainfall began in the Dakar area and lasted well into September. These rains caused massive flooding that affected Dakar's poorly constructed and over-populated suburbs that have seen a population boom linked to internal migration. Many families have been forced to abandon their houses and live in tents or temporary shelters in schools leading to the delay of the opening of the school year. Many citizens were extremely critical of local mayors and the government for not taking the necessary step to first prevent the flooding and then for their lackluster response in the aftermath. They also complained that inaction by their local governments means that certain schools remain closed three weeks into the school year because they have yet to relocate families.