The African Development Bank Group (AfDB) is supporting Senegal's efforts to protect Lake Guiers in the northern part of the country with a loan and a grant totaling US $24.42 million (UA 15.86 million) to finance restoration of the lake.
The Project to Restore the Ecological and Economic Functions of Lake Guiers (PREFELAG), approved by the AfDB Group's Board on Wednesday, September 4, 2013 in Tunis, seeks to reinstate optimal conditions for normal functioning of the lake.
Specifically, the project aims to restore the lake's flow coefficient by increasing the volume of water from 1.2 to 2.1 billion m3 per year by 2017. It will also refill the Ndiael Special Bird Sanctuary with water.
In line with Senegal's strategic planning frameworks, the project seeks to achieve the objectives of the National Economic and Social Development Strategy (SNDES 2013-2017), especially with regards to the environment and sustainable development.
It will make it possible to achieve the objectives of the Integrated Water Resources Management Action Plan (PAGIRE 2007-2015), which includes building knowledge and strategies in the area of water resource management.
The project is consistent with the two objectives of the Bank's 2013-2022 Ten-Year Strategy as it will help to restore and develop natural ecosystem resources in order to sustainably boost the resilience and productivity of farming systems for the benefit of poor rural communities. Furthermore, it also focuses on Pillar II of the Country Strategy Paper for Senegal (2010-2015), especially the sub-pillar on basic infrastructure (water and sanitation, and natural resource management).
Partners such as International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN), Global Environment Fund (GEF), Regional Inspectorate for Water Resources and Forestry (IREF) and Environment and Development in Africa (ENDA), among others are providing material and technical support to the project.
On completion the project is expected to: (i) increase access to water for over 4 million people in the country and close to one million head of cattle; (ii) develop at least 30,000 ha of irrigable lands and 20,000 ha of wetlands with remarkable natural habitats; (iii) increase direct stockbreeding profits from the project area to at least CFAF 530 million per year; (iv) increase fish production from 238 to 486 tonnes per year; (v) create over 3,000 rural jobs for the youth and women including at least 100 green jobs; and (iv) remove the Ndiael Reserve from the Montreux Record.
Over 200,000 persons in the project area and 3 million people in Dakar and other inland towns and villages who rely on the water supply network connected to the lake will benefit from the project.
The total project cost is estimated at UA 18.69 million (CFAF 13.94 billion). It will be financed with a UA 15-million ADF loan (80.3%); a GEF grant of UA 0.857 million (4.6%); and the government's contribution of UA 2.830 million (15.1%).
