1. General information
Location and description of the intervention
City or FUA
Thies
Region
Africa
Native title of the NBS intervention
Restauration et de réhabilitation des écosystèmes de la ville
Short description of the intervention
Senegal, like many other West African countries, is in an unprecedented position when it comes to the threats climate change poses. Climate scientists predict that the country will likely experience increased temperatures, decreased annual rainfalls, a rise in sea levels, and an increased frequency of heavy rainfall events. Automatically these events will change drastically the social and economic structures of the country and are reasons for concern for the people of Senegal and their government. For example, the city of Thiès is in an area where environmental degradation is very advanced. The tree cover is in a situation of extreme fragility due to tree ageing or abusive tree cutting. To address many of these concerns, the city of Thies is trying to become sustainable through the development of green spaces that are expected to restore the city's ecological dimension and contribute to the reduction of greenhouse gases and the improvement of the living environment. (1,2)
Address

21000 Thies
Senegal

Type of area before implementation of the NBS
Timeline of intervention
Start date of the intervention (planning process)
unknown
Start date of intervention (implementation process)
2015
End date of the intervention
2018
Present stage of the intervention
Goals of the intervention
As a result of climate change, Thiès is affected by a severe drought. The heavy consumption of wood due to the fact that it is heated and cooked almost exclusively with wood has led to significant deforestation and erosion. During periods of heavy seasonal rainfall, there is flooding with considerable repercussions in the urban area below a high plateau hit by drought and soil erosion. In addition, there are great difficulties in the field of infrastructure. The present intervention falls has the following main objectives:
1. To restore the city to its ecological dimension to contribute to the reduction of greenhouse gases and the improvement of the living environment.
2. To fight climate change through a systemic approach, focused on the following issues: the restoration of a green grid between urban sections, the promotion of restoration techniques, the natural regeneration of degraded forest ecosystems, the improvement of biodiversity preservation
3. To raise awareness regarding climate change effects by training local communities and trying to change damaging behavioural patterns.
4. To improve the living conditions of the population on site. (1,2)
Quantitative targets
Targeting the 3 municipalities that make up the city of Thies (approx. 400,000 inhabitants)
Restoring an ecosystem of 4000 m2
Planting 4800 trees and plants (1,4)
Monitoring indicators defined
Number of people benefiting from the intervention
Number of communities targeted
Size of the area to be restored
Number of tress and plants (1,4)
Climate change adaptation: What were the goals of the NBS?
Climate change mitigation: What were the goals of the NBS?
What types of restoration goals are / were defined for the NBS intervention?
Implementation activities
According to the coordinator of the Restoration and Rehabilitation of Ecosystems Project in the city of Thiès, the project was implemented with the help of the German government and with the cooperation of the city of Solingen, in Germany. The two cities carried out an action plan lasting 18 months, which made it possible to identify 27 measures affecting the areas of sanitation, improvement of the environment, waste management, preservation of biodiversity, energy, communication aspects. Of the 27 measures, he says, one was the subject of a test project focusing on preserving biodiversity and combating climate change.
The project set up three communal climate platforms to ensure good local governance, three local sustainable development committees, as well as a grassroots team and a steering and monitoring committee. The training of actors is at the heart of the process. The sessions take place at workshops and village or neighbourhood assemblies. The theoretical sessions are complemented by practical sessions. Awareness is a sustainable transversal activity that takes place during village assemblies, workshops, guided tours and public hearings of the mayor, as well as through the press. (1,3)
Through exploratory visits to strategic aid partners, horticultural experts were identified with whom to work on the design of the public gardens and green spaces. By visiting tree nurseries, some potential species could be identified: Khaya senegalensis (African mahogany), Azadirachta indica (neem tree), Cordia sesbetena (cordie), Delonix regia (flame tree) and Peltophorum ferrugineum, Gmélina arborea, Bougainvillea glabra, etc. In order to draw up a plan for the participatory redesign of the public gardens and green spaces, surveys on the perception of the population of the landscaping were planned and carried out in the districts of the avenue CAEN, the public gardens “Esplanade des Droits de l'Homme” (municipality of Thiès West) and "Ibrahima Sarr" (municipality of Thiès East) are affected. 533 people (271 women and 237 men) were interviewed. With these surveys, the design options for the gardens and axes as well as the measures for more successful implementation could be determined. (5)
NBS domain and interventions
Ecological domain(s) where the NBS intervention(s) is/are implemented
Parks and urban forests
Pocket parks/neighbourhood green spaces
Community gardens and allotments
Allotments
Horticulture
Green areas for water management
Other
Please specify "other green areas for water management"
semi-filtering dikes
Please specify the number of plots or allotment gardens
The number of allotment gardens was not made available.
Vegetation Type
Please specify how many trees were planted
4800 trees (1)
Amenities offered by the NBS
Services
Expected ecosystem services delivered
Provisioning services
Food for human consumption (crops, vegetables)
Regulating services
Air quality regulation
Carbon storage/sequestration
Flood regulation
Pollination
Habitat and supporting services
Habitats for species
Cultural services
Intellectual interactions (scientific and / or educational)
Social and community interactions
Scale
Spatial scale
Micro-scale: District/neighbourhood level
Beneficiaries
Governance
Governance arrangements
Please specify the roles of the specific government and non-government actor groups involved in the initiative
Built according to a participatory approach, the project is based on the support, enhancement and synergy of local initiatives and the institutionalization of links between local authorities and civil society. It is led by the city of Thies with German partners: Federal Ministry of Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and the City of Solingen. (1)
The project is financed by the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation (BMZ) for a period of three (3) years (2016–2018) as part of its program to support municipal projects for climate protection and adaptation to climate change through Engagement Global gGmbH/Servicestelle Kommunen in der Eine Welt (SKEW). The Servicestelle Kommunen in der Eine Welt (SKEW), founded in Bonn in 2001 and later integrated into Engagement Global gGmbH as a department, is a competence center for municipal development policy in Germany. Financed by the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and by the states of Baden-Württemberg, Bremen, Hamburg, North Rhine-Westphalia and Rhineland-Palatinate, SKEW promotes the development policy commitment of cities, municipalities and districts. (4)
Key actors - initiating organization
Please specify other Key actors - Other stakeholders involved
German government agencies and the city of Solingen. (4)
Key actors - Other stakeholders involved (besides initiating actors)
Local government/municipality
Transnational network
Citizens or community group
Other
Policy drivers
NBS intervention implemented in response to an Regional Directive/Strategy
No
NBS intervention implemented in response to a national regulations/strategy/plan
Yes
Please specify the national regulations/strategy/plan
Senegal has a National Adaptation Programme of Action (NAPA) (2006) that incorporates participatory methods in the implementation and monitoring of projects, community ownership of solutions, capacity building, poverty alleviation, strategies for improving and diversifying livelihoods for vulnerable groups, and consideration of gender issues. It is not evident that the intervention was implemented as a response to the national strategy however it should be mentioned that most of the actions are in accord to the national strategy. (2,6)
NBS intervention implemented in response to a local regulation/strategy/plan
Yes
Please specify the "local regulation/strategy/plan"
The City has a Development Plan that specifies the most relevant development strategies for a territory that wants to be a balanced metropolis, from the global to the local scale. It also has a territorial climate plan from which the initiative presented emanates. (1)
Mandatory or voluntary intervention
Voluntary (spontaneous)
Enablers
Presence of specific city-level GI/NBS vision/strategy/plan - mentioned in connection to the project
Unknown
Presence of specific city-level GI/NBS section/part in a more general plan - mentioned in connection to the project
Yes
Please specify the general plan with GI/NBS section
The City has a Development Plan that specifies the most relevant development strategies for a territory that wants to be a balanced metropolis, from the global to the local scale. It also has a territorial climate plan from which the initiative presented emanates.(1)
If there is a relevant strategy or plan, please specify the theme / type of the plan.
Presence of city network or regional partnerships focused on NBS - mentioned in connection to the project
Yes
Please specify
To develop conceptual bases, Solingen and Thiès participated from 2014 to 2015 in the "50 Communal Climate Partnerships by 2015" project of the Service for the Municipalities of the World. This resulted in a summary of the needs and challenges of both cities in terms of sustainable urban development, climate protection and adaptation to climate change in an action program that forms the basis of cooperation. (2) As a result, the German city of Solingen is the initial beneficiary and the city of Thiès secondary beneficiary. (3)
Presence of GI / NBS research project - mentioned in connection to the project
Unknown
Subsidies/investment for GI / NBS in the city - mentioned in connection to the project
Unknown
Co-finance for NBS
Yes
Co-financing governance arrangements
Unknown
Was this co-governance arrangement already in place, or was it set up specifically for this NBS?
Financing
What is/was the Cost/Budget (EUR) of the NBS or green infrastructure elements?
Unknown
What are the total amount of expected annual maintenance costs?
Unknown
What is the expected annual maintenance costs of the NBS or GI elements?
Unknown
Please specify cost savings
Unknown
Please specify total cost (EUR)
200,000,000 CFA = 304,855 EUR (Currency exchange rate as of 10.11.2021, available at https://www.xe.com/currencyconverter/convert/?Amount=1&From=XOF&To=EUR).
Source(s) of funding
Please specify other source of funding
German government (1)
Non-financial contribution
Yes
Type of non-financial contribution
Which of the involved actors was motivated by this model?
Type of innovation
Please specify social innovation
The project is innovative at the governance level as the intervention was based on a participatory approach and many community members were interviewed and consulted when developing the intervention plan. (5)
Novelty level of the innovation
Please specify novelty level of the innovation
Sources were ambiguous in explaining if indeed the intervention was derived from previous initiatives but it is worth mentioning that both cities, Solingen and Thiès participated from 2014 to 2015 in the "50 Communal Climate Partnerships by 2015" project of the Service for the Municipalities of the World. It might be the case that good practices were found there. (2,5)
Replicability/Transferability
Please specify Replicability/Transferability
Unknown
Impacts, benefits
Description of environmental benefits
From 2015-2018 the project achieved the following:
- planning of the measures for soil remediation / for water and soil protection
The activities are carried out by working groups that alternate on-site according to a mutually agreed schedule, whereby the distribution of roles and tasks is based on a gender approach. The men in groups of 10 people per project site are entrusted with heavy, labour-intensive tasks (conveying and breaking the stones, digging the protective devices, etc.), while the women take care of the removal of the stones and sand to the processing points. The routing of the contour lines and the construction of the erosion protection chain are carried out by groups of 25 people in the following composition: 10 men and 15 women. (5)
- implementation of 7910 m of stony cords to limit runoff and promote infiltration and refill of aquifers
- construction of 1,717 m of semi-filtering dikes with positive effects on runoff reduction and water infiltration
- construction of 300 dug structures that have water retention and infiltration effects
- planting of 4800 plants in the forest upstream and downstream of the structures
- defence of a 5 ha plot to protect part of the classified forest and promote carbon sequestration (1)
Species present: Khaya senegalensis (African mahogany - the tree is featured on the IUCN Red List (International Union for Conservation of Nature) as classified endangered.), Azadirachta indica (neem tree), Cordia sesbetena (cordie), Delonix regia (flame tree) and Peltophorum ferrugineum, Gmélina arborea, Bougainvillea glabra, Plumbago capensis etc. (5)
Nurseries for growing saplings were also introduced along with horticulture measures (7)
All these results have effects on carbon sequestration, flood control, ambient air purification for a better and more resilient living environment.
Economic impacts
Description of economic benefits
Unknown
Description of social and cultural benefits
For 2016:
Three (3) municipal climate platforms consisting of elected members, the OCB, the organization of the civilian population and delegates from the city districts, chaired by members of the established municipal council committees; each platform brings together at least 20 organizational leaders who are able to share the information with a group of at least 50 people, i.e. H. to approx. 1000 people per platform. (5)
Instruct the population on the role of erosion control measures to slow down water runoff: before the start of the intervention measures at the individual project locations, a training course was planned and carried out, during which 30 people were instructed in how to determine the contour lines, and the role of erosion control measures to slow down water runoff was explained to them in theory. (5)
Nurseries for growing saplings were also introduced along with horticulture measures (7)
Establishment of 148 improved homes. (1)
Type of reported impacts
Indicators
Number of people trained
Number of trees and plants planted
Size of plot delimitated for protection
Analysis of specific impact categories
Job creation: The NBS created ...
Environmental justice: The implementation of the NBS project resulted in ...
Negative impacts: Did the project cause any problems or concerns?
No information was found regarding negative impacts of the project
COVID-19 pandemic
Unknown as of November 10,2021, there is no information regarding the impacts of the Covid19 pandemic on the intervention.
Methods of impact monitoring
Evidence for use of assessment
Presence of an assessment, evaluation and/or monitoring process
Yes
Presence of indicators used in reporting
Yes
Presence of monitoring/evaluation reports
Yes
Availability of a web-based monitoring tool
No evidence in public records
Impact assessment mechanism
Name of any specific impact assessment tools
Unknown
Use of GIS in mapping impacts
No evidence in public records
Citizen involvement
Citizens involvement in assessment/evaluation
Yes
Mode(s) of citizen involvement in evaluation/assessment
Citizens involvement in the analysis of the assessment/evaluation
Unknown
Follow-up to the evaluation / assessment
Unknown
References
Documents relevant to the intervention
Attachment Size
City of Solingen report (3.34 MB) 3.34 MB
Plan and results for 2016 (2.38 MB) 2.38 MB
CO2 reduction paper (172.4 KB) 172.4 KB
List of references
1. Initiatives Climat (2018), Restauration et de réhabilitation des écosystèmes de la ville, available at http://www.initiativesclimat.org/Toutes-les-initiatives/Restauration-et-de-rehabilitation-des-ecosystemes-de-la-ville?uri=%2FToutes-les-initiatives%3Ftags%3D0%26dates%3D0%26query%3Durbain%26offset%3D50 (accessed 10-11-2021)
2. Engagement Global (no date), Restauration et réhabilitation des écosystèmes dans la ville de Thiès, available at https://skew.engagement-global.de/solingen-thies-senegal-fr.html (accessed 10-11-2021)
3. Seneplus (2016), TALLA SYLLA LANCE LE PROJET RESTAURATION ET REHABILITATION DES ECOSYSTEMES DE LA VILLE DE THIES, available at https://www.seneplus.com/societe/talla-sylla-lance-le-projet-restauration-et-rehabilitation-des (accessed 10-11-2021)
4. Thies-Solingen cooperation website (no date), Nachhaltiger Klimaschutz in Afrika, available at https://thies-solingen.jimdofree.com/nachhaltiger-klimaschutz/ (accessed 10-11-2021)
5. Thies-Solingen cooperation website (no date), RAPPORT D’ACTIVITES - Du 1er octobre au 31 décembre 2016, available at https://thies-solingen.jimdofree.com/nachhaltiger-klimaschutz/ (accessed 10-11-2021, also attached)
6. Climate Links (no date), Climate Change Adaptation in SENEGAL, available at https://www.climatelinks.org/sites/default/files/asset/document/senegal_adaptation_fact_sheet_jan2012.pdf (accessed 10-11-2021)
7. Thies-Solingen cooperation website (no date), Städtefreundschaft zwischen Solingen und Thiès im Senegal, available at https://thies-solingen.jimdofree.com/nachhaltiger-klimaschutz/ (accessed 10-11-2021, also attached)
Comments and notes
Additional insights
After approval of the project, considerable delays were recorded in the start of the project due to outstanding issues and uncertainties due to communication problems. Thus, the communal contract could not be signed until the summer of 2016. As the rainy season began, the first measurements could not start until the fall, but in a different order than originally planned. (2)

The city of Thiès, the capital of the region, covers an area of 68.82 km2; it is located 70 km east of the capital Dakar. Precipitation is spread over a maximum of three months, from mid-July to mid-October. They vary between 200 and 500 mm per year. It is almost surrounded by degraded forests and extractive industries.

The intervention had a component that aimed at reducing CO2 emissions and it included the creation of stoves. If we cannot prevent people from having to cut down trees to extract firewood, we can only think about how to link the needs of people and the environment within the framework of planned timber management. So far, families in rural areas have been cooking with an open firewood fire, with the pot usually standing on three stones of about the same size. The fire under the pot is kept going by pushing long branches and tree pieces from the outside. This method has a disadvantage: Most of the heat generated flows past the pot and has little effect. So it takes much longer for the meal to be prepared than if the heat remained directly under the pot. The idea now is to make a stove (stove) that is designed in such a way that the cooking pot virtually closes the opening of the stove so that the heat cannot escape. Simple building materials to be found on site should be used for production so as not to be dependent on certain materials, which may also cost a lot of money for local conditions. (4)
Public Images
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Photo 5
Restoration work
https://thies-solingen.jimdofree.com/nachhaltiger-klimaschutz/
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Photo 3
Vegetables
https://thies-solingen.jimdofree.com/nachhaltiger-klimaschutz/
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Photo 4
Saplings
https://thies-solingen.jimdofree.com/nachhaltiger-klimaschutz/
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Photo 1
Trees
https://thies-solingen.jimdofree.com/nachhaltiger-klimaschutz/