A national capacity-building workshop on Nature-based Solutions (NbS) for coastal resilience was held in Dakar from 8 to 12 December, at the initiative of the Ministry of Environment and Ecological Transition (METE) through the Directorate of Climate Change, Ecological Transition and Green Financing. Organized in collaboration with Invest International (Netherlands) and the Dutch expert consortium NL2120, the workshop benefited from the operational support of IUCN through the WACA program.

The workshop took place in a context of accelerated coastal degradation in Senegal. More than 60% of the country’s coastline is affected by erosion, threatening critical infrastructure, tourism areas, livelihoods, and the safety of coastal populations. Areas such as Mbao, Rufisque, Bargny, Yenne, Joal-Fadiouth, and the Petite Côte are among the most vulnerable corridors. Despite numerous initiatives undertaken in recent years, national planning documents — including the SND 2025–2029, the NDCs, and the NAP — highlight the urgent need to adopt integrated and ecosystem-respecting approaches to sustainably strengthen coastal resilience.

Bringing together around forty participants, including government representatives, technical experts, and members of local communities, the workshop aimed to improve understanding of NbS concepts and standards and to assess their relevance to the Senegalese context. Discussions helped identify site-specific challenges, review available technical options, and outline initial pathways for integrating NbS into national coastal protection planning. Sessions combined expert presentations, interactive discussions, and group work to analyze technical, socio-economic, and institutional barriers to NbS implementation, while identifying levers to overcome them.

A field visit to Bargny and Mbao was a highlight of the workshop. Accompanied by a delegation from the Dutch maritime trade mission, participants observed the scale of coastal erosion firsthand and discussed the most appropriate response options. This on-site immersion strengthened understanding of coastal dynamics and helped contextualize ecological restoration, nature-based planning, and soft shoreline stabilization solutions.

At the end of the five-day workshop, participants demonstrated an improved command of NbS concepts and practices, along with a clearer understanding of the steps required to advance coastal resilience planning in Senegal. The outcomes of the workshop will inform upcoming scoping and pre-feasibility studies conducted with Invest International, with the objective of developing a national coastal protection program fully integrating Nature-based Solutions.

This workshop marks a new milestone in the collaboration between Senegal, the Netherlands, and IUCN/WACA, reflecting a shared commitment to promoting sustainable, science-based approaches aligned with international standards to better protect coastal communities and ecosystems from the growing impacts of climate change.