Guet Ndar community faces erosion and gas exploitation

The fishing community of Guet Ndar in Saint-Louis, Senegal, is facing severe disruptions due to the dual pressures of climate change and the commencement of gas exploitation. Coastal erosion has significantly transformed the Langue de Barbarie, the narrow strip of land separating the Atlantic Ocean from the Senegal River.

According to the Agence française de développement (Afd), hundreds of meters of coastline have disappeared in recent years, exacerbated by the opening of the Saint-Louis breach in 2003. This erosion has led to the destruction of homes and the displacement of families to remote relocation sites.

In addition to environmental shifts, the local fishing industry is struggling. As fish stocks become less accessible near the shore, fishermen are forced to travel further into the high seas or migrate to neighboring countries like Mauritania and Gambia to sustain their livelihoods.