The mangrove of Saint-Louis of Senegal (1000 ha) is located in the northern most area of West Africa and is in danger of extinction, with a rate of loss of 9 ha/year. It is threatened by land clearing, pollution, timber harvesting and climate change.

The main objectives of the initiative are:

• Promotion of an intercommunal management strategy for the protection of the mangrove ecosystem as part of the ongoing de-centralisation process
• Supporting the local communities in preservation and enhancement of mangrove areas
• Promote economic activities following the principles of sustainable development
• Develop environmental education programmes for school
• Encourage dissemination, promotion and the use of renewable energy sources.

With the support of the regional development agency of Saint-Louis, an analysis and action plan were developed. A multi-stakeholder ecosystem comprising 50 organisations and strategic partnerships has been established and brings together institutional, technical, private sector and community actors.

Activities are implemented around four main pillars:

1. Support for mangrove conservation activities
    
2. Community Awareness and Environmental Education
   An environmental education program has been launched in 19 schools in the 3 target municipalities. Through community outreach, older people present historical stories about the richness and value of the mangrove and encourage young people to actively contribute to its regeneration.
    
3. Support for the development of mangrove areas
    
4. Development of renewable energy sources.
   Alternative fuel sources in the form of biogas, were offered to households previously dependent on mangroves for firewood and an effective community awareness programme was launched

In 2012, the Climate Solidarity Fund (FSF) and other NGOs and NFP foundations financially supported the first phase of the mangrove preservation initiative.

Between 2017 and 2020, the initiative was financed under an EU national project, implemented at the local level. The departmental authority financed two project staff positions. Le Partenariat and the Agence Régional de Développement supported the projects through technical support staff.

Over the nine years of the intervention, more than 50 ha. of mangrove have been regenerated. The mangrove growth rate has risen to 7% per year and the deterioration rate has decreased by 25%. Nearly 8,000 people from over 50 organizations were involved in the initiative, representing local authorities, academics and environmental experts who were engaged to support the local private sector, civil society organizations and community organizations.

Good health well-being has increased through the reduction of floods, the abundance of resources, the improvement of incomes, the creation of green jobs, the knowledge of sustainable development issues and especially the existence of a framework for inclusive local dialogue.

The main challenges to the initiative were as follows:

• An unequal balance in the financial investment for the three municipalities at the beginning
• Some households continued to cut mangroves for firewood.

Many cities have felt the impact of natural disasters and government leaders have now committed to implement mitigation and adaptation measures to minimize these impacts.

It is important to develop strategies at the departmental and municipal levels for the management of the mangrove ecosystem, considering the ecological, social and economic characteristics of the territory, the interdependence of climate, biodiversity, spatial planning and the network of actors concerned by the ecosystem.

Within the West African Network 5 Deltas, a process of mutual capitalization of experiences between stakeholders in mangrove conservation has been launched since 2015.

In Senegal, the Gambia and Guinea Bissau, local and regional authorities are ready to replicate the initiative in their respective countries or territories. At least 3 Network study trips were conducted in Saint-Louis between 2015 and 2020 to learn about the initiative. Research and Implementation data is available and shared with all cities that wish to learn from the initiative and replicate it.

Winning city at the 5^th GUANGZHOU International Award for Urban Innovation