Tree Day in Tambacounda: Alpha Thiam calls for mobilization against deforestation

The 43rd edition of National Tree Day and the 2026 National Reforestation Campaign was officially launched this weekend in Sinthiou Fissa, in the Bakel department. Representing his colleague, the Minister of the Environment and Ecological Transition, the Minister of Culture, Crafts and Tourism, Alpha Thiam, took advantage of the ceremony to raise the alarm about the state of forest resources in eastern Senegal.

In front of administrative and customary authorities, NGO representatives and the people of Tambacounda, Alpha Thiam placed environmental preservation at the heart of his speech, in line with the guidelines of the National Transformation Agenda Senegal 2050 , while calling for a general mobilization, like the Prime Minister who, in turn, officially launched Tree Day in Darou Salam in the Nioro du Rip.

“Our green lungs are dying.”

For the minister, the objective is to halt the deforestation that is weakening the region and to make reforestation a binding reality in order to reposition Tambacounda as a pillar of national attractiveness. "Our green lungs are dying. Once celebrated for its dense forests, eastern Senegal is suffering the full force of unprecedented degradation," he warned.

According to him, the urgent priority now is to make reforestation a collective and sustainable obligation. He also stressed the need to stop the completely uncontrolled exploitation of forest resources. "Cutting down a tree without replacing it is signing the death warrant for our own children," he emphasized, noting that the trees' capacity for regeneration is far too slow compared to the current rate of exploitation.

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Alternatives to charcoal and a plan for Niokolo-Koba

To curb the demand for fuelwood, Alpha Thiam highlighted the Senegal Natural Resource Management Project (SENRM). Supported by the World Bank, this project plans to deploy nearly 250,000 improved cookstoves across the country. This measure should be accompanied by facilitating better access to cooking gas for the most vulnerable households.

Another key point of the intervention was the Niokolo-Koba National Park, a "threatened global jewel." The minister emphasized the need to strengthen the State's efforts to protect this heritage from poaching, gold mining, and other activities that could damage its ecosystems.

He announced that Senegal, drawing inspiration from the successes of East and Southern Africa, aims to forge international partnerships for the large-scale repopulation of rare species, particularly lions, elephants, and giraffes. The objective is to revive high-end safari tourism, capable of generating local jobs and showcasing the culture and crafts of Tambacounda internationally.

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Tambacounda, spearhead of the ecological renaissance

By bringing together the State, the Water and Forestry Department, local populations and civil society, such as the NGO La Lumière, the government wants to make Tambacounda and regions with high environmental potential the "spearhead" of the ecological and touristic renaissance of Senegal.