Saint-Louis: ADM and the World Bank open new perspectives for urban resilience

A delegation from the World Bank and the Global Facility for Disaster Risk Reduction (GFDRR) stayed in Saint-Louis to discuss climate challenges and the city’s sustainable development prospects with local authorities.

Organized by the Municipal Development Agency (ADM), this meeting provided an opportunity to take stock of the achievements of the Emergency Recovery and Resilience Project in Saint-Louis (SERRP), implemented with the support of the World Bank. The general director of the ADM, Dr. Mahmouth Diop, recalled that Saint-Louis remains particularly exposed to the effects of climate change. “Coastal erosion, marine submersion and flooding threaten populations and infrastructure. Faced with this situation, we had to act with responsibility and anticipation,” he stressed. According to him, the project enabled the construction of housing for affected populations, the creation of socio-economic infrastructure and the strengthening of community resilience.

For the governor of Saint-Louis, Al Hassan Sall, this mission was an opportunity to present to partners the main challenges of the region. “We discussed environmental issues, coastal preservation, fishing and the region’s economic development prospects,” he said. Representing the World Bank, Lorenzo Carrera welcomed the progress made thanks to the investments made. “We are supporting the State of Senegal with funding of around 40 billion FCFA. The results observed in Saint-Louis are very encouraging, even if challenges remain,” he indicated. The mayor of Saint-Louis, Mansour Faye, insisted on the need to continue efforts to make the city “an attractive, sustainable and resilient city”. This meeting made it possible to identify new prospects for cooperation to support Saint-Louis in its adaptation to climate change and its sustainable development.