AfDB NEWS & EVENTS
After five years of work, the Project to Restore the Ecological and Economic Functions of Lake Guiers, in northern Senegal, expired in 2019. It restored optimal conditions for the operation of the lake, while allowing development of the Ndiaël special avifauna reserve, according to the conclusions of a report by the African Development Bank published on November 3.
The project, which has amply benefited local populations, was financed to the tune of US $ 21.71 million by the Bank. Indeed, $ 20.55 million comes from a loan from the African Development Fund and $ 1.16 million from a grant from the Global Environment Fund.
As part of the rehabilitation of the lake's management infrastructure, 17 kilometers of curé channel lines were built, ten kilometers of dyke lines rehabilitated and 30 hectares of areas infested by typha cleaned. For the development upstream of the Ndiaël (Yetti Yone), 16 kilometers of curated channel lines and 110.8 kilometers of firebreak lines have been installed. On the large pond of Ndiaël, ten kilometers of access roads have been created, as well as 8.4 kilometers of linear evacuation channel, 32.7 kilometers of supply channel and 10.9 kilometers of navigation channel.
“Better control of the hydrological situation of the Lac de Guiers system has contributed to a greater and more controlled filling of the large Ndiaël pond. The availability of water has led to the revival of socio-economic activities, considerably improving income from agriculture and fishing, ”states the Implementation Status and Results (EER) report of the bank.
"The drinking water supply program for localities bordering Lake Guiers has above all substantially improved the rate of access to drinking water in the area," the report emphasizes. At the level of the Ndiaël reserve, the works relating to the construction of the ecotourism camp, the fish ponds and the mini-dairy are almost completed ”. Arrangements are underway to formalize the legal existence of the ecotourism camp in order to ensure its sustainable management. The capacities of beneficiaries in the ecotourism professions have been strengthened (management, catering, reception, guidance, boat driving, etc.).
For the populations living around Lake Guiers, the impact of the project is significant: income from livestock rose from $ 272,000 in 2014 to $ 2.04 million in 2018; those of agricultural production reached 37.06 million dollars (against 4.43 million dollars before the implementation of the project); fishing has also experienced an upturn in activity, generating increasing income for the populations (from 212,000 to 918,000 dollars).
With the increase in available water resources (from 1.2 billion m3 to 2.34 billion m3), the irrigable areas have increased from 20,000 to 57,000 hectares. The construction of 166 sanitation structures along the Taouey has contributed to better access to sanitation services (from 34% to 70%). Access to drinking water now concerns 90% of the population, compared to 48% in 2014.
“The involvement and commitment of local populations, from assessment to implementation, contributes significantly to the execution of the Ndiaël management plan. In addition, the implementation of the project by the Office of Lakes and Rivers and the Department of Water, Forests, Hunting and Soil Conservation (national structures responsible respectively for the management of the lake system and that of the Ndiaël reserve) reassures about the sustainability of the achievements ”, concludes the report of the African Development Bank.
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