This Territory Has Been Restored, Bringing Young Locals Back Home!

Following a decade of hard conservation work, biodiversity, ecosystems, and resources have been restored in Kawawana, Senegal, with younger generations coming back to their native land, committed more than ever to preserve what has been saved.

“There is now a national association of ICCAs (Indigenous and Community Conserved Areas) in Senegal, which encourages a positive relationship between communities and state services,” says Salatou Sambou, ICCA’s regional coordinator for marine and coastal ecosystems in West Africa.

The Kawawana conserved area was created by Indigenous Jola fishers in Casamance. Today, there are 26 ICCAs across Senegal. The area – both coastal and maritime – covers 9,665 hectares and is entirely governed, managed, and maintained by local communities. Thanks to conservation efforts, the fragile and unique ecosystem of the region has been saved: twice as many species of fish compared to 10 years ago, including the giant African threadfin (Polydactylus quadrifilis) and the cassava croaker (Pseudotolithus senegalensis), can now be found in Kawawana’s rivers. What’s more, a community fund has been set up in an effort to contribute to a more secure life in the village, helping 250 locals develop business projects in their own homes rather than feeling the need to migrate to bigger cities to find work.