Listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, Saint-Louis in Senegal has become one of the most striking symbols of the fragility of coastal areas in the face of the climate crisis. The erosion of the Langue de Barbarie and the salinisation of the land threaten the survival of this historic city, nicknamed the Venice of Africa. Homes submerged, families displaced, economy disrupted: the city lives at the pace of an environmental emergency which requires much more than one-off responses. It is in this context that Action Education is rolling out the Climate Change Alternatives (CCA) project, which aims to strengthen people's capacity to adapt and break the cycle of vulnerability through education.

A city between land and ocean, shaped by history and exposed to risks

Located 270 kilometres north of Dakar, Saint-Louis – or Ndar in Wolof – is built around the Senegal River, an island with colonial buildings and the Langue de Barbarie, a coastal strip connecting it to the Atlantic Ocean. This unique geographical configuration has forged its identity, but today constitutes its main weakness. A former administrative capital and major trading centre, the city has long relied on fishing, market gardening and tourism, three essential economic drivers now seriously threatened.

With a population exceeding one million, the majority of whom are under the age of 25, Saint-Louis is a young but deeply vulnerable territory. The effects of climate change are being felt more quickly and more strongly there than elsewhere.

From left to right: Langue de Barbarie (ocean side) and the fishing village of Guet Ndar, the historic island, Faidherbe Bridge and the Sor neighbourhood on the mainland.

Saint-Louis is one of Senegal's main artisanal fishing ports, which is the city's primary economic activity.

A disappearing coastline and lives turned upside down

Ranked among the countries most vulnerable to climate change, Senegal is already undergoing profound transformations:

• 35% decrease in rainfall since the 1990s
• 1.6°C increase in average temperature since 1950
• sea level rise estimated at 50 cm by 2050

In Saint-Louis, the consequences are dramatic.. The Langue de Barbarie, which acts as a natural barrier, is inexorably crumbling away. In the Guet Ndar neighbourhood, a hub for small-scale fishing and one of the most densely populated areas in Africa, nearly 800 metres of beach have already disappeared. Homes, shops, schools and even cemeteries have been swallowed up by successive storms. More than 3,000 people have lost their homes, and some school facilities have been closed or even destroyed, interrupting the education of hundreds of children.

Women participate in a reforestation activity in the Saint-Louis marine protected area.

To deal with the imminent danger, the authorities have relocated more than 30,000 people to sites such as Diougop, a new town built far from the shore. However, the distance from the sea prevents families from continuing their fishing activities, which exacerbates their precarious situation and weakens social ties.

This crisis also affects fish stocks. Long abundant, they are now collapsing due to industrial overfishing, illegal fishing and warming waters. Today, nearly 60% of species are threatened, forcing many young people to consider migration as their only option.

In light of this observation, Action Education is focusing on collective intelligence and knowledge transfer to prepare for the future.

The ACC project: making education a driver of adaptation in the face of the climate crisis

Launched in 2025 for a period of three years, the Climate Change Alternatives (CCA) project led by Action Education aims to strengthen the resilience of the populations of Saint-Louis while promoting inclusion and gender equality. The principle is simple: make education a lever for adapting to climate change.. Climate Change Clubs are popping up in schools. With the help of trained teachers, students learn about the mechanisms of climate change and take part in practical actions:

• educational gardens
• manufacture of furniture from recycled materials
• waste sorting and recovery.

These spaces are becoming veritable incubators for green initiatives, capable of influencing family and community practices.

Teachers, for their part, are gradually incorporating modules on biodiversity and sustainable energy into their lessons. This curricular transformation is helping to firmly embed climate issues in the learning process.

Awareness sessions are organised in schools and colleges across the city.

An inclusive and structuring approach

ACC is not limited to schools. Elected officials, associations, young people and local leaders take part in training courses on environmental governance, enabling citizens to understand public policies and participate actively in them.

The programme also supports the diversification of economic activities: sustainable agriculture, waste management, renewable energy, and eco-friendly crafts. Women, the primary source of resilience in the region, receive special support to create and sustain alternative sources of income.
The ultimate goal? To move away from dependence on coastal resources towards an economic model that is better suited to climate realities. More than just a technical project, ACC seeks to change perceptions and foster a culture of civic engagement around the environment. It is through awareness-raising, taking responsibility and jointly developing local solutions that Saint-Louis will be able to face its new reality..

Interview with Mr Ousseynou Sarr, Inspector of Education and Training in Saint-Louis

Can you tell us about the effects of climate change on education in Saint-Louis?

There are currently many schools that are completely dilapidated due to coastal erosion on the Langue de Barbarie. The Cheikh Touré school has been closed for safety reasons, while other schools have simply been wiped off the map.

What is the objective of the ACC (Alternatives Changements Climatiques) project?

The reality of climate change must be incorporated into our action plans and school projects in order to find local solutions. I believe that the key objective is to raise awareness, especially among children. Once children have been made aware of the issue, through activities such as reforestation or the creation of green spaces, they can then spread the word to their communities.

How do children react to these ?

Children generally enjoy the Climate Change Club activities, which take place outdoors. These are opportunities to learn outside the classroom. They allow children to take initiative and feel useful through the actions they take every day.

What are your hopes for the future of this project?

We would like Action Education's support to continue in order to strengthen its implementation and prepare us for scaling up the project. I also think it would be interesting to include preschool children who are exposed to these realities.