Nature-Based Solutions (NbS) are increasingly seen as a crucial tool for climate adaptation and nature restoration. For communities most effected by climate change, nature-based approaches to infrastructure challenges, such as flood protection, land restoration and water pollution, offer a cost-effective and community-based solution, an opportunity to reduce the infrastructure gap, as well as progress towards 79% of the SDG targets.
In June, the Nature-Based Infrastructure Global Resource Centre and International Institute for Sustainable Development teams travelled to Dakar, Senegal, to kick off work on a new project: Natur’ELLES. With the aim of benefitting more than 8,000 people, including 5,600 women and 85,000 indirect beneficiaries in 123 villages, the project will restore mangrove ecosystems in the Sine Saloum and Casamance deltas of Senegal. This work will be led by SOCODEVI, with partners including the International Institute for Sustainable Development, International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and Ostrom Climate Solutions.
The team joined IUCN and Senegalese government representatives, environmental policy makers and community stakeholders in hosting an interactive training workshop in Dakar which generated knowledge-sharing, discussion and insightful takeaways. Shedding light on key issues specific to the Senegalese context, this workshop got to the root of considerations needed for the success of nature-centered and gender-sensitive projects like Natur’ELLES.
Here's what we learned:
It’s time to recognize and empower Indigenous and Community-Based Protected Areas and strengthen local capacities for climate change adaptation
The concepts of NBI, NbS, green, and natural infrastructure are still less known among public officials and communities, even if nature-based approaches have existed for centuries. Community-Based Indigenous Heritage Areas (APAC) have been established to restore and protect ecosystems in Senegal. They are implemented and managed by communities with cultural and traditional ties, however, these areas are not yet formally recognized in national policies. Communities need tools and support to implement and scale NBI, to better participate in strengthening their own adaptation to climate change.
Policy makers, planners, and engineers need technical and strategic training opportunities on tools like Sustainable Asset Valuation (SAVi) and using economic and financial models to make informed decisions. Focus must also be placed on nurturing partnerships and collaboration, along with strengthening stakeholders’ technical capacities, increased awareness, and localization of NBI/NBS concepts.
Long-term ownership of interventions needs to be considered for the sustainability of natural infrastructure
Most project durations are short, but investments in natural infrastructure require time for the benefits to be realized. Gender-equality goals also require a long-term communication and social mobilization plan -which is why it’s key for public officials, community leaders, and communities in general to feel involved and to own the initiatives. For interventions to be sustainable in the long term, it’s clear that communities must be engaged right from the very beginning. Failure to do so can lead to challenges of ownership.
Empowering women will require inclusive governance systems and community-level communication plans for behavioural change
Inclusive governance and strengthening gender dimensions for women’s participation and empowerment in Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) and Community-Based Natural Resources Management Areas are key pillars for the Natur’ELLES project. At the community level in Senegal, women are often involved in community affairs management. However, even if Senegal makes significant progress by implementing gender-equality for all electoral assemblies, women’s leadership skills still need to be strengthened.
In society, women are influencers in their families and communities. Culturally, however, most women’s activities in Senegal are subject to approvals from their husbands (or fathers, if they are not married). An open and transparent communication plan would help avoid tensions in households and communities where interventions focus on women. Such plans might clearly demonstrate an interest for the well-being of the entire family and community to ensure trust, transparency, and ownership among the community members. NBI and nature-centered projects must conduct comprehensive stakeholder mapping to ensure involvement and ownership by all actors. It will also be key to analyze causes and bottlenecks which hinder women’s leadership roles in decision-making processes, including in the environmental field.
Women’s community-based savings systems, known as “tontines”, are a key practice in integrating nature-based solutions for climate change adaptation. This system is used to support financing for individual or collective small projects. These “tontines” could be leveraged to address gender-sensitive adaptation needs and support NBI implementation for the benefit of the community.
Integrating risk mitigation and showcasing long-term benefits is crucial for promoting NBI
Nature-based infrastructure is a cost-effective, nature-positive infrastructure alternative for climate change adaptation. Nevertheless, mangrove restoration projects pose some risks, including an increased malaria risk due to humidity and mangrove forests becoming a breeding ground for mosquitoes. Therefore, risk mitigation measures must be integrated and adopted from the inception of projects.
As mentioned, the co-benefits of NBI take more time to develop and be felt by the community. Traditional or “grey” infrastructure may suit their immediate needs more quickly, and in these cases a hybrid approach, which takes care of both the short and long term, may be more appropriate. For the success of NBI projects, it’s crucial to consider this factor.
Addressing climate data needs should be a priority for financial and economic analysis
The lack of available, comprehensive, up-to-date, geographic, and climate-related data can be a challenge for stakeholders looking to implement NBI. The more relevant the data, the more accurate and powerful the model, and therefore the more useful the economic and financial analysis produced using tools like SAVi. Data gaps are a challenge to address in Senegal, as well as many other geographies, as long-term NBI projects require persuasive analysis to demonstrate their bankability and attract public and private investment.
Challenges and Opportunities
There are also clear challenges and opportunities for the future of nature-based infrastructure in Senegal:
- Duplication of efforts and the need of more coordination: In some cases, many projects are undertaking the same initiatives, even in the same communities. More coordination is required to ensure the efficiency and effectiveness of interventions. There are multiple policies and strategies related to environmental protection in Senegal. To achieve effectiveness and efficiency, the Government needs to ensure more coordination and coherence.
- Recognize and valorize indigenous and community-based protected areas: Protected areas managed by communities are excellent examples of how people can own and manage adaptation initiatives if they are empowered and recognized. In Senegal, practices to protect ecosystems and biodiversity have been in place for some time. Despite this, they are not formally recognized as institutions with the same legal protection such as Marine Protected Areas (MPAs).
- Innovative financing and resource mobilization: Senegal clearly needs more resources to finance its adaptation and resilience to climate change. The country could leverage all possible innovative financing means as well as cost-effective strategies. In fact, a variety of financing mechanisms offer opportunities to fund and promote NBI. The Natur’ELLES project presents a learning opportunity for potential scaling up of this tool in other nature-centered projects for climate change adaptation. Currently, contributions from the private sector and the corporate social responsibilities are yet to be sufficiently mobilized to fund climate change adaptation.
What's next for Natur'ELLES?
As Natur’ELLES progresses, there is a great learning opportunity for NbS as it can benefit from different national and international expertise. The Nature-Based Infrastructure Global Resource Centre will provide an impact assessment of the project, analyzing the benefits of mangrove ecosystems for the economy, environment, society and in particular, for women.
To ensure discussions and takeaways flourish, Dakar workshop participants are shifting their conversations to “mangrove platforms” where stakeholders compile their questions and insights on how mangroves can deliver benefits for communities in the Sine Saloum and Casamance natural regions of Senegal. We will keep you updated with the latest developments in the project and look forward to publishing our assessment.