Senegal adopts its National Adaptation Plan to climate change for the agricultural sector

Dakar, Senegal - On April 3, 2025, Senegal launched its National Adaptation Plan (NAP) for climate change in the agricultural sector, a crucial initiative to strengthen the country's resilience to the impacts of climate change. The adoption of this plan took place during a workshop co-chaired by the Minister of Agriculture, Food sovereignty and Livestock (MASAE), Dr. Mabouba Diagne, and the Minister of the Environment and Ecological Transition (METE), Professor Daouda Ngom.

The process has been supported by various technical and financial partners, including the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the Government of Quebec, the Global Environment Facility (GEF), German Cooperation (GIZ) and the French Development Agency (AFD).

A crucial initiative for a vulnerable agricultural sector

Senegal’s agriculture, a fundamental pillar of the national economy, remains particularly vulnerable to the effects of climate change. Occurrences such as droughts, floods, and land degradation threaten not only agricultural productivity but also the country's food sovereignty. Recognizing these challenges, Senegal has been working since 2015, in line with the Cancun Conference (COP16, UNFCCC) guidelines and the provisions of the Paris Agreement, to develop its National Adaptation Plan, including sector-specific NAPs. The NAP dedicated to agriculture provides a strategic roadmap to address the climate challenges facing the sector in the medium and long term.

A participatory and inclusive process

The formulation of the NAP-Agriculture was followed a participatory and inclusive approach, involving extensive consultations with stakeholders: national and local authorities, the private sector, civil society and the academic community. This process allowed for the creation of a plan based on updated scientific data, enabling the evaluation of climate risks and the vulnerability of the agricultural sector. A technical oversight committee, established in 2022, led the process, including conducting vulnerability studies, identifying and prioritizing adaptation measures, developing the plan and validating it technically before finalizing it in 2025.

Strong political commitment for a resilient agriculture

During the validation workshop, the Minister of Agriculture, Food sovereignty and Livestock, Dr. Mabouba Diagne, emphasized the strategic importance of this initiative for the future of Senegalese agriculture. He stressed the urgent need to strengthen the sector’s resilience to climate uncertainties and affirmed the government's commitment to implementing the National Adaptation Plan for the agricultural sector.

"Together, we must act with determination and coherence to protect our ecosystems, strengthen our food sovereignty and ensure a prosperous future for our producers," he said.

The Minister also specified that the implementation of the NAP-Agriculture requires effective institutional coordination and a robust financing strategy, supported by the Government and development partners, as well as a strong commitment from the private sector.

"My appreciation to the government of Quebec and FAO for their support in the development of this strategy, through the SAGA 2. I also urge other partners to actively support its implementation," he concluded.

The Minister of Environment and Ecological Transition, Professor Daouda Ngom, expressed his satisfaction with the strong collaboration between the two ministries in addressing climate change challenges, which require collective and concerted action.

Professor Ngom stated, "This validation marks a decisive step in Senegal's efforts to adapt its agriculture to climate challenges." He also emphasized that cooperation with technical and financial partners is essential to ensure the successful implementation of this plan.

Moving from planning to action

Although the adoption of the NAP-Agriculture is a key milestone, its implementation will be a key factor for its success. One of the main challenges lies in securing the necessary funding to carry out the proposed actions. These funds will need to come from public, private and international sources. Strengthening the capacity of national and local actors will also be essential to structure viable adaptation projects. A monitoring framework will be put in place to assess progress and adjust strategies as needed.

Partners role in implementation

FAO played a central role in developing the NAP-Agriculture, through the "Food security and agriculture: accelerating adaptation" (SAGA 1 and 2) project. Mr. Mehdi Drissi, Senior Liaison Officer representing the Interim FAO Subregional coordinator for West Africa, Ms. Bintia Stephen-Tchicaya, reaffirmed the organization’s commitment to supporting Senegal in implementing this plan. He stressed that the success of adapting Senegal’s agricultural sector will depend on the ability to transform this plan into a lever for sustainable and inclusive transformation, in line with the "Senegal 2050" vision.

"FAO reiterates its commitment to supporting the Senegalese government in this process. Initially, we will support the development of an action plan, an implementation strategy and assist in the development of projects stemming from the NAP-Agriculture through the SAGA 2 project. We strongly encourage the government to continue the efforts and strengthen synergies between different ministries, the private sector, civil society, and technical and financial partners," he added.

A committed technical and financial partner in the NAP-Agriculture development process, the Delegate of Quebec in Dakar, Mr. Iya Touré, expressed his satisfaction with this significant step made by Senegal in its climate action efforts and reiterated the support of the Quebec government to continue this dynamic through the project.

Next steps: operationalization and implementation

The next steps will involve operationalizing of the NAP by developing a detailed action plan that includes a resource mobilization plan and a strategy for its implementation. FAO will continue its support to Senegal in this process, through the SAGA 2 project in technical and financial partnership with the Government of Quebec. The goal is to ensure that adaptation projects are executed effectively and sustainably.

Under the leadership of the Minister of Agriculture, Food Sovereignty and Livestock, the implementation strategy for the NAP-Agriculture will be fully aligned with the government's priorities, supporting community agricultural cooperatives. A detailed mapping of actions and projects will be carried out to ensure that adaptation initiatives directly meet the needs of these cooperatives, aiming to strengthen their resilience to climate change. This process will include specific measures to facilitate access to resources, training and innovation, while ensuring the active involvement of cooperatives in the implementation of projects.