Biodiversity and Conservation - Senegal

Senegal signed in 1992, then ratified in 1994 the Convention on Biological Diversity. This commitment confirmed and created a framework for establishing an active policy for the conservation of biological diversity in Senegal.

The National Parks Department is the focal point for the main multilateral agreements on biodiversity: Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species belonging to Wild Animals (CMS), Ramsar Convention on wetlands of international importance, etc. It manages, with the Direction des Aires Marines Communautaires Protégées (DAMCP), a large network of parks, reserves and marine protected areas, the primary objective of which is the conservation of biological diversity. 

Senegal's protected areas

Senegal’s efforts to conserve biodiversity have resulted in the creation of a network of national parks, wildlife reserves, community nature reserves, classified forests and marine protected areas.

The Department of National Parks (DPN) and the Department of Community Marine Protected Areas (DAMCP) manage a network spread over the different eco-geographic areas and made up of three major groups:

Niokolo Koba National Park (PNNK) in the Sudanese savannah zone intended to preserve the last relics of the large and medium terrestrial wildlife of the country;

Coastal wetlands and / or marine areas: PNDS, PNLB, PNIM, RNP, ROK, PNOD, RSFG, PNBC, RNC of Tocc Tocc, Somone and Palmarin and the MPAs of Saint-Louis, Abéné, Cayar, Joal, Gandoule , Sangomar, Bamboung, Niamone Kalounayes and Kassa Balantacounda which, with a diversity of ecosystems (islands, marshes, lagoons, mangroves, forests, etc.), play a key role in the migration of birds of the Western Palaearctic, but also in the biodiversity conservation.

The Sahelian ecosystem mainly consists of the Ferlo Nord Fauna Reserve which still has a residual population of red-fronted gazelles (Gazella rufifrons) and red-necked ostriches (Struthio camelus). For several years now, this reserve has been home to reintroduced Sahelo-Saharan antelope species (oryx, dama mhorr gazelle and dorcas gazelle) from the Gueumbeul Special Fauna Reserve.

These three large groups occupy an area of ​​approximately 18,081 km², or 9.2% of the national territory.  These protected areas are included in the list of biosphere reserves, Ramsar sites or natural World Heritage sites.

Senegal has five biosphere reserves:

• The Saloum Delta Biosphere Reserve, with the PNDS, the Bamboung, Gandoul, Sangomar and the Palmarin Reserve as central centers;

• The Transboundary Biosphere Reserve of the Senegal River Delta with the Djoudj National Bird Park (PNOD), the Langue de Barbarie National Park (PNLB), the Guembeul Special Fauna Reserve (RSFG), 'Saint-Louis MPA and the Ndiaël Special Avifauna Reserve (RSAN);

• The Niokolo Koba Biosphere Reserve, with the Niokolo Koba National Park as its central core;

• The Samba Dia Biosphere Reserve with as central core part of the classified forest of

Samba Dia;

• The Ferlo Biosphere Reserve which concerns Ferlo North and South.

Senegal also has eight Ramsar sites (wetlands of international importance):

• The Djoudj National Birds Park;

• The Ndiael Special Avifauna Reserve;

• The Saloum Delta National Park;

• The Guembeul Special Wildlife Reserve;

• The Tocc Tocc Community Nature Reserve;

• The Somone Nature Reserve of Community Interest;

• The Palmarin Community Nature Reserve and

• The Ornithological Reserve of Kalissaye.