Background and objectives
Greater Dakar is the industrial commercial and governmental centre of Senegal. It covers an area of approximately 217 square kilometres, 0.17 per cent of the national area, but has 2,244,682 inhabitants (1999) (24.19 per cent of the total national population) and an estimated growth rate of 4 per cent. The agglomeration also has 70 kilometers of coast. Eighty per cent of Senegal's industries are concentrated in Dakar, as are two-thirds of national income and three quarters of the country's water supply. Concentration of population in this area has led to intense deterioration in environmental conditions and has increased natural and technological hazards. This has directly affected the health and welfare of the inhabitants of low-income areas. In 1993 a workshop to launch the EPM process lead to the preparation of the Dakar environmental profile. Participants of the town meeting on the urban environment discussed the concept and methodology for rapid urban environment assessment, approved the environmental profile, identified the environmental concerns and outlined an implementation strategy. The city consultation was followed by consultation activities (elaboration of project planning document and mobilization of funding).
Activities
The Sustainable Dakar project is implemented by the Communauté urbaine de Dakar, together with local partners, such as the Ministry of Environmental and Nature Protection, the Ministry of Housing and Urban Development, the Ministry of Health (National Hygiene Service), the Ministry of Industry and the Ministry of Cities, the municipalities of Dakar (Cahba, Pikine, Rufisque and Bargny and their technical centres); the University of Dakar (Institute for the Environment, Land and Physics); the media (Sud, Walfadjri, RTS and Soleil); the private sector (the chamber of commerce and members of the business community); parastatal companies; concerned residents; NGOs (Enda Relay for Participatory Urban Development and community-based organizations, including CAMCUD, APEB, ASCONSEN and ADEC. The priority issues identified are solid waste management, natural and industrial hazards, air pollution and sanitation and sewerage.
Results
The Sustainable Dakar Project addressed the specific issue of the degradation of Hann Bay. Working groups have been established, the communal forum at Hann has been organized and the follow-up cross-sectoral committee was installed. The project is being replicated in Rufisque and Louga with the preparation of environmental profiles and consultations for each municipality. The follow-up cross-sectoral committee organized local working days for Hann Bay as a demonstration action.