Last week, we had the privilege of co-organizing a Nature-Based Solutions (NBS) workshop together with the Senegalese Ministry of Environment and Ecological Transition, IUCN, Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Senegal, and Netherlands Enterprise Agency (RVO) | Partner in Sustainable Development.
The event was officially opened by the Dutch Ambassador Carmen Hagenaars and Mr. Idy Niang, Technical Advisor to the Directorate for Climate Change, Ecological Transition, and Green Financing (DCCTEFV) of the Senegalese Ministry of Environment and Ecological Transition (METE).
They reminded us why our work matters so deeply: “one-third of the Senegalese population depends directly on coastal activities for their livelihoods, and these activities represent more than half of the regional GDP. Yet these same coasts are now seriously threatened. In the face of this reality, NBS offer a promising, integrated, and sustainable response. This expertise, shared by Dutch companies, including the EcoShape consortium and NL2120, is not offered as a model to replicate, but as a foundation for dialogue, exchange, and co-development. Our goal is to work on building solutions adapted to the local contexts, and the social, economic, and environmental realities.”
The workshop brought together experts, policymakers, and practitioners to exchange knowledge, co-create strategies, and explore scalable solutions that protect communities and infrastructure, restore vital ecosystems, and strengthen local economies.
We are proud of the energy, collaboration, and shared commitment that emerged from this workshop. It demonstrated not only the urgency of acting now, but also the incredible potential of Nature-Based Solutions to shape a more resilient future for Senegal.
