Senegal starts major land restoration effort targeting 80,000 hectares

SENEGAL – Senegal has taken another step in its effort to heal damaged farmland after Fodé Fall, Secretary General of the Ministry of Environment and Ecological Transition, started a new land restoration project on December 8.

The project aims to repair 80,000 hectares of degraded land under the Programme to Strengthen the Resilience of the Great Green Wall of Africa, known as SURAGGWA.

SURAGGWA seeks to restore 1.4 million hectares of damaged land across eight Sahel countries. The program carries a budget of 222 million dollars, with the Green Climate Fund covering 68 percent. The fund intends to support climate resilience and reduce the advance of desert landscapes in the region.

Authorities did not share the amount set aside for Senegal or the specific regions that will receive support. Fall, however, expressed confidence in the project. He noted that the planned activities will help local farmers and groups.

“These actions should also support value chains, build skills among local actors and strengthen environmental governance,” he said.

Senegal continues to push for stronger restoration outcomes. In the African Forest Landscape Restoration Initiative launched in 2015, the country pledged to restore 2 million hectares of forest and farmland by 2030. A 2023 update to the initiative showed that Senegal reported 2.3 million hectares under active restoration.

Land degradation still threatens communities

Even with ongoing projects, land degradation remains a serious issue. A 2024 Court of Auditors report found that 34 percent of Senegal’s land suffers from degradation, equal to about 6,860,900 hectares.

Several forces drive this trend, including soil salinization, deforestation, bush fires, overgrazing and poor farming methods. In its latest global forest resources review released in October, the FAO noted that Senegal lost an average of 15,500 hectares of forest each year from 2015 to 2025.

These losses reduce crop yields, strain rural incomes and increase pressure on natural resources. Farmers in many regions now rely on degraded soils that dry faster, absorb less water and hold fewer nutrients. This trend forces them to work harder for smaller harvests.

Recent developments show that the country continues to direct attention toward land recovery. Officials highlighted that the ongoing push under SURAGGWA fits into broader national goals aimed at protecting forests, improving soil fertility and helping rural communities.

Fall reaffirmed this direction and stressed the need for coordinated work. “We need strong collaboration to keep our land healthy and secure better livelihoods for the people who depend on it,” he said.

The government aims to combine this new project with earlier commitments to slow forest loss, support farmers and limit pressure on fragile soils.

As land degradation grows across the Sahel, Senegal views each layer of restoration as an important step toward long term stability for farming and the environment.

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