Stories of Impact A series highlighting achievements in disaster risk management Making Senegal’s Cities More Flood-Resilient REGION: AFRICA Flooding has become a major problem in FOCUS: RESILIENT RECOVERY COUNTRY: SENEGAL Senegal’s cities, a trend exacerbated by rural- urban migration and a lack of access to drainage and sewage infrastructure. Recognizing these risks, the Global Facility for Disaster Reduction and Recovery (GFDRR) began to engage with the Senegalese government in RESULTS: 2008, supporting a Spatial Analysis of Natural • Building on GFDRR support since 2012, the World Bank, the Nordic Hazards and Climate Variability Risks Project Development Fund, the Global Environment and the country’s first-ever Post-Disaster Fund, and the government of Senegal have Needs Assessment (PDNA). The PDNA’s invested over $70 million in the Storm Water Management and Climate Change recommendations laid the groundwork for the Adaptation Project (PROGEP). Storm Water Management and Climate Change Adaptation Project (PROGEP), with support and • Drainage/reservoir system carried out by PROGEP have helped protect almost funding from the World Bank, the Nordic 100,000 people and more than 400 Development Fund, and the Global Environment hectares from flooding during the 2015 rainy season. Fund. • A drainage master plan has been prepared for the peri-urban areas covering more than 60% of Dakar’s population, and drainage channels designed for year-round use have helped to significantly reduce the groundwater level. CONTEXT: Flooding is one of Senegal’s main sources of disaster risk, often affecting low-income groups in cities. The growth of urban populations has led to construction of informal settlements in low-lying areas on the outskirts that have limited soil absorption capacity. These areas lack drainage infrastructure, which further increases flood risk. Access to public sanitation services is low, at 39%, and 74% of households in coastal areas are vulnerable to erosion, an issue which is being exacerbated as sea levels rise and storms become more intense. Sea levels are projected to rise by up to one meter by 2100, putting more than 100,000 people in low-lying areas at risk. APPROACH: PROGEP, building on the recommendations of the GFDRR- “We left our homes because our limited supported PDNA, is tackling the causes of flooding and resources were not enough… to cope with such severe flooding. Thanks to the project, we have addressing weaknesses with Senegal’s DRM efforts by: returned and are proud to live in a neighborhood • Integrating climate risks into urban planning and with paved streets and drainage infrastructure... management, particularly in terms of enforcement tools We are committed to mobilizing our community to prevent floods, reduce vulnerability, and increase urban to maintain them.” resilience to climate change. – Aminata Fall, resident of Wakhinane Nimzatt • Managing and investing in drainage systems, with the aim of establishing drainage systems in Dakar’s peri-urban areas and ensuring that they are functional. NEXT STEPS: • Empowering local municipalities, residents, and community Moving forward, the project will help to consolidate groups to engage in flood-risk reduction measures and Senegal’s risk management capacity through the climate change adaptation by piloting the development and development of urban planning and management including climate risks projections, geographic implementation of community investments in participating information systems tools, implementation of a areas. community engagement action plan for floods risks • Developing and operating a monitoring/evaluation system reduction, strengthening DRM financing mechanisms, and supporting all fiduciary requirements including implementing a sustainable cities pilot project as model safeguards, procurement, and financial management. for promoting urban resilience in Senegal, and support for a national coastal zone protection strategy. The first detailed Urban Master plan of the country including Senegal’s government has embraced PROGREP, flood prone areas mappings and related restrictions about requesting the GFDRR and the World Bank’s help to settlements have been also prepared for the project intervention bring in other partners to support a similar approach areas. The PROGEP is part of the GEF “Sustainable Cities at a national level. Program” representing Senegal to this global program. This pilot initiative under the PROGEP co-funded by the GEF, the NDF and LESSONS LEARNED: the WB aims to improve planning and management capacities at Make use of natural waterways and gravitational local and national levels, increase knowledge and partnership on drainage to address flooding. These offer significant sustainable cities and climate resilience and strength national benefits in terms of the environment, cost, and urban policy framework for sustainable cities model. sustainability. Pumping stations are expensive and may not be an appropriate choice. Low-lying areas that are susceptible to flooding need to be protected from informal settlement, and community investments can help integrate drainage Contact Isabelle Kane networks into urban areas. If an area is used by the ikane@worldbank.org local community for agricultural, leisure, or www.gfdrr.org *ALL MONETARY VALUES IN USD recreational purposes (as a garden or a soccer field, for instance), residents will be more likely to protect it from being settled and help ensure its upkeep.