The Thiès region is embarking on a new dynamic of protecting its forest heritage. Meeting in a regional development committee (CRD), the administrative and forestry authorities have launched consultations on the project to delimit, demarcate and signpost the classified forests of Thiès, Pout, Diass, Bandia, Popenguine and Cayar.

According to the regional inspector of water and forests of Thiès, Lieutenant-Colonel El Hadj Malick John, this initiative responds to an urgent need to preserve forest areas that are increasingly exposed to human pressures.

He noted that the last classified forest in the region dates back to 1957 and that no new forests have been created since then. On the other hand, several declassifications have been recorded, reducing the initial area of classified forests by approximately 15%.

“We are seeing encroachments related to housing, the expansion of agricultural activities and mining. Thiès being the main mining hub of Senegal, the pressure on forest resources is particularly strong,” he explained.

Faced with these threats, the forestry services plan to demarcate all six classified forest areas in the region. This initiative aims to better define the official boundaries of these areas and strengthen their protection.

Presiding over the meeting, the deputy governor of Thiès in charge of development, Ababacar Sadikh Niang, stressed the strategic importance of classified forests in the conservation of biodiversity, the protection of soils, the regulation of the climate and the sequestration of carbon.

He did, however, deplore the many pressures that weigh on these ecosystems today, including rampant urbanization, the expansion of agricultural land, irregular occupations and various forms of unsustainable exploitation.

According to him, the objective of the program initiated by the Ministry of the Environment and Ecological Transition is to materialize in a visible and recognized way the limits of classified forests in order to prevent land conflicts, fight against encroachments and promote sustainable management of natural resources.

The CRD (Regional Development Council) is therefore a key step in the process. It should inform the various stakeholders, gather their concerns, and promote collective ownership of the actions to be taken on the ground.

The authorities emphasized the need for a participatory approach involving local governments, technical services, village chiefs, community organizations, and local residents. These stakeholders will be consulted during local consultations, the verification of official boundaries, the location of old boundary markers, and the identification of any encroachments.

For Ababacar Sadikh Niang, the physical demarcation of classified forest boundaries goes beyond a purely technical matter. It constitutes a genuine instrument for land governance, environmental preservation, and combating the effects of climate change.

Ultimately, the authorities hope to permanently secure the boundaries of the six forest areas concerned, reduce conflicts over use and strengthen the conservation of forest resources for the benefit of present and future generations.