Efforts to Restore Lac Rose and Preserve Biodiversity: The Call to Action

Lac Rose is in an indescribable situation, which jeopardizes its future. For several months, many actors such as campers and public organizations such as the Cncr have been trying to restore it to its former color diluted by the discharge of rainwater.

Par Alioune Badara NDIAYE – The strip of casuarina trees between Lake Rose and the sea was the place of convergence of members of the National Council for Consultation and Cooperation of Rural People (Cncr) and the Association of Campers of Senegal. A camp (from November 2 to 6) was held at their initiative to try to provide an appropriate response to climate change and the preservation of biodiversity. It is therefore quite natural that Lac Rose was chosen for this edition, according to the organizers. “Last year’s edition, we were at Lake Tanma to raise awareness about its situation. For this 2nd edition, we chose to come to Lac Rose which has been strongly impacted for almost two years. So naturally, this camp is to send a message to the authorities, to tell them that Senegalese youth are committed to mentoring but also to helping the government in its mission of preserving the environment and biodiversity. underlined Mamadou Guèye, president of the Senegal campers. “We are here today to give them an alert and also to let them know that we are ready to work with them in this fight,” he continued. “We will not only observe, but we will intervene, denounce and raise awareness. You all know, the lake is no longer pink, the forests are threatened, there is encroachment everywhere. We no longer know where the lake plate begins,” said Alioune Badara Diongue, president of the Cncr Youth College. “Salt extraction, which can be considered an agricultural activity (…) We are in agro-sylvo-pastoral, fishing activities, validly we can intervene and come camp here as young people to denounce everything that is being done and which will negatively impact us, our activities, and future generations,” he continued. According to the press document provided by the organizers, rampant urbanization and land artificialization are also factors aggravating the impact of rainwater in the lake. “We are thus witnessing water pollution combined with the fall in economic activity,” underlined the source, referring to the need to find appropriate solutions to save Lake Rose. The 2nd Camp of peasant agroecology for the climate and community management of natural resources recorded the participation of 200 people divided between three sub-camps: the environment soldiers, the agriculture commandos and the climate gaindés . Through their actions, they have targeted training and awareness-raising among local populations on the impacts, issues and challenges linked to climate, the restoration of natural resources and the protection of biodiversity. It was also a question for them of contributing to the protection of Lac Rose and the strip of casuarina trees through reforestation and monitoring of at least 2000 plant individuals. The theme of the edition was: “Local solutions, global impact: the agroecological generation on the march for better resilience in the face of climate change.” The objective of the camp, which marks the 30th anniversary of the Cncr, is, according to the document, to promote the emergence of a new generation of rural leaders capable of mobilizing grassroots communities to provide sustainable endogenous solutions to environmental problems. local.
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