Blog Senegal's climate commitments put agriculture and forestry in the spotlight
In response to climate challenges, Senegal is reinforcing its commitment to sustainable agriculture and forestry. On January 30th and 31st, 2025, experts, institutions, and partners gathered in Somone to assess the progress of the Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) and outline the next steps. The workshop was organized by the Ministry of Environment in collaboration with FAO.
The Alliance of Bioversity International and CIAT, in collaboration with Tree Aid, played a key role by contributing to the financial flow analysis of investments made to date to fund climate change mitigation and adaptation, and making concrete recommendations, on how to better track financial flows including at the local level. Their expertise identified solutions to be had for a more inclusive, effective, and resilient NDC 3.0.
Contextualizing the NDC: A new momentum for AFOLU
Under the Paris Agreement, Senegal has committed to reducing its greenhouse gas emissions by 7% (unconditional scenario) and up to 29% (conditional scenario) by 2030. This commitment largely relies on Agriculture, Forestry, and Other Land Uses (AFOLU), a key sector for both mitigation (carbon sequestration) and adaptation (enhancing agroecological resilience).
The Senegalese NDC focuses on several areas, inter alia:
- Preservation and restoration of forests (reducing charcoal use and bushfire, mangrove planting; )
- Promotion of climate-smart agricultural practices (including agroforestry, composting, plantation and assisted natural regeneration)
- Improvement of livestock and sustainable management of pastoral resources, breeding
Beyond numerical commitments, the NDC embodies a vision that integrates biodiversity protection, socio-economic development, gender inclusion and food security. During the workshop, participants emphasized the importance of rigorous monitoring of actions to measure their real impact. It also became clear that coordination among national institutions, international partners, and civil society is crucial to avoid duplications and pool expertise.
Moreover, the central role of AFOLU sector in the rural economy reminds us that the success of the NDC depends not only on structural policies but also on the ability to efficiently mobilize the necessary financial resources. The workshop thus served as a platform to examine both achievements and challenges, to prepare for the next stage of the NDC.
The Alliance of Bioversity International & CIAT and Tree Aid: Crucial Support
In this process, the Alliance and Tree Aid provide key scientific expertise to decode financial flows and propose concrete solutions. Together, the Alliance and Tree Aid studied climate financing received by Senegal between 2010 and 2022, estimated at $2.12 billion, over half of which were loans. The analysis reveals that while this annual envelope (about $250 million) meets the country's needs, it is unevenly distributed: a large portion is channeled through public sector institutions and international development partners, yet there is little evidence, due to tracking challenges, of the level of finance which reaches, local communities, smallholder farmers, SMEs and other key local food system actors. This lack of transparent evidence is seen in project documents which do not clearly articulate the components and finance which is meant to support climate action at the subnational level.
"It is crucial to improve our monitoring and evaluation system. Without reliable traceability, it will be difficult to measure the real impact of investments and correct any potential shortcomings."
The distribution of these funds highlights a transparency issue: how can we ensure that the financing reaches local actors? Present at the workshop, Issa Ouedraogo, PhD, the country representative of the Alliance, stated:
The Alliance also suggests increasing the portion of grants, promoting mixed initiatives (adaptation and mitigation), and using digital tools to map funding. Furthermore, training local actors is essential to enhance their capacity to develop projects and negotiate financing. Issa OUEDRAOGO, country representative says,
"The Alliance remains committed to supporting Senegal in building more equitable financial mechanisms, and contributing to the adaptation component of the NDC through the ongoing resilience projects implemented by the Alliance, benefiting rural communities and ecosystem conservation."
Mame sana Diop, the country director for Tree Aid who was also in attendance added,
"Tree Aid will continue to work collaboratively with the government of Senegal and partners in providing technical expertise and key insights for shaping fair financial systems. Our reforestation initiatives will contribute to the country’s upcoming NDC mitigation and adaptation objectives as well as bolster resilience and local economy amongst communities."
Issa Ouedraogo
Senior Scientist, Country Representative for Senegal
Key Challenges Hindering NDC Progress and Climate Action
Several key constraints that hinder progress in NDC evaluation have been identified during the workshop. Lack of means fund the multi-stakholder coordination and an insufficient mass of qualified human resources for monitoring and evaluating measures. Access to funding is also inadequate, with challenges in mobilizing international finance and limited national resources. Additionally, the private sector's involvement in financing climate actions remains minimal. Data and monitoring systems are suboptimal. Furthermore, there is limited knowledge and awareness among local actors and stakeholders on the requirements of the Paris Agreement. Lastly, the increased frequency of climate hazards, such as droughts and floods, is severely impacting the agricultural and forestry sectors, leading to continued land and ecosystem degradation; losses and damages in food production systems.
Main lessons: financing, partnerships, and transparency
Three major lessons emerged from the workshop. First, even though the overall envelope is substantial, the nature of the financing (loans vs. grants) and their distribution remain problematic, raising questions about debt and equitable access to climate finance. Local organizations, often ill-equipped to navigate financing mechanisms, find themselves on the margins of projects. Noting that the high portion of loans, is clearly inconsistent with funding to the Least developed countries.
Secondly, the diversity of partnerships (government, NGOs, donors, researchers, private sector) is an asset for pooling knowledge and resources. However, discussions highlighted the need for better coordination of initiatives and clear definition of each actor's role. Participants noted the importance of having a harmonized national framework to avoid dispersion and ensure the complementarity of actions.
Lastly, the need for transparency was deemed crucial. The workshop stressed the urgency of mobilizing resources to support establishing a robust monitoring and evaluation system to ensure traceability of investments to the final beneficiaries. This would improve accountability and better adjust climate policies based on the results observed on the ground. Several speakers also mentioned the potential contribution of digital tools, capable of centralizing data and facilitating information dissemination to stakeholders.
Future prospects: Towards an inclusive and resilient NDC 3.0
As Senegal prepares to transition to NDC 3.0, the recent workshop emphasized critical pathways to enhance climate action and support, with functional MRV system overtime in AFOLU sector. Strengthening institutional capacities is a priority, with a focus on improving coordination among ministries, technical agencies, and partners, while training local actors on monitoring, MRV systems, and climate planning. To improve funding access, the development of microfinancing and agricultural insurance mechanisms tailored to local needs, along with increased private sector engagement, is essential. Partnerships with international financial institutions will also play a key role.
A digital platform to monitor climate projects is among the proposed solutions, aimed at centralizing data, measuring intervention effectiveness, and disseminating best practices. However, beyond technological improvements, community engagement remains pivotal. Mobilizing local populations, valuing traditional knowledge, and fostering local innovation are critical to building ownership and sustainability.
The workshop also stressed integrated approaches combining both mitigation and adaptation strategies, such as agroforestry, soil restoration, and semi-stable livestock systems. Scaling resilience-based solutions, including nature-based interventions, agroecology and climate-smart agriculture, will help Senegal address rising climate risks.
Ultimately, the recommendations aim to foster stronger collaboration between the government, financial partners, research institutions, and field organizations. By aligning long-term vision with expertise and knowledge sharing, Senegal seeks to accelerate its transition to a greener, more equitable economy where AFOLU becomes a key driver of sustainable growth and climate resilience.
