USAID/Senegal Nature-Wealth-Power Retrospective Study Contribution on Nature

The study aimed to provide a comprehensive analysis of USAID's investments in environment and natural resources (E/NR) in Senegal. The report focuses on the evolution of USAID's investments in E/NR, with a particular emphasis on desertification control, fuelwood, sand dune stabilization, and reforestation. The study highlights the importance of community-based natural resource management (CBNRM) and the integration of natural resource management (NRM) into agriculture. The report also examines the role of enterprise development, decentralization, and NRM in promoting sustainable rural development. Additionally, the study provides insights from environmental monitoring, including analysis of land use/land cover change in the southern peanut basin and assessment of the impacts of charcoal harvesting and forest management. The Wula Nafaa project is a key component of the NWP framework, focusing on community-based facilitators, strengthening and training of producer and NRM groups, communication and outreach, and identification of targeted value chains. The project has achieved significant outcomes, including yield increases from infrastructure investments and conservation farming, and has provided critical assistance to local communities. The report also highlights challenges and lessons learned, including the need for long-term sustainable financing of NRM interventions, monitoring of changes in forest cover and resource condition, and shifting government priorities and approaches. The study draws on experiences from other countries, including Namibia and Madagascar, and provides recommendations for future USAID investments in E/NR. The NWP framework emphasizes the importance of attention to the role of trees and forests in sustainable landscape management, wildlife, livestock, and rangeland management, and climate change and resilience. The report concludes by providing an overview of the achievements and outcomes of USAID's investments in E/NR, progress and impacts in relation to the NWP framework for Nature, and recommendations for future investments. The study was prepared by the World Resources Institute, with support from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and the United States Forest Service. The report provides a comprehensive analysis of USAID's investments in E/NR in Senegal and offers valuable insights for future investments in sustainable natural resource management.