The Dakar Greenbelt is a major ecological initiative that aims to restore critical ecosystems, protect natural resources and the food supply, and create green jobs in Senegal’s rapidly growing capital city.
Executive Summary
The Dakar Greenbelt Initiative began in 2023 and was selected as a winner of the UN Generation Restoration Cities Competition. It has raised $420,000 in support and launched a two-year feasibility study and pilot design phase, engaging partners across Senegal and the US.
The Dakar Greenbelt initiative began in 2023, when a group of Senegalese and U.S.-based partners proposed an urban greenbelt that would help to manage the city’s growth while protecting its ecological assets. The proposal was selected as a winner of the Generation Restoration Cities Competition, launching two years of feasibility studies, local workshops, and pilot site design.
Through collaboration between community partners, researchers, and government agencies, the Dakar Greenbelt initiative has taken shape as a twofold strategy: a series of large-scale greenbelts to structure urban growth, paired with smaller-scale green infrastructure projects that integrate reforestation, flood control, agriculture, and sustainable land management into the city’s fabric. The initiative also builds on the vision of the African Union’s Great Green Wall, which aims to restore 100 million hectares of degraded drylands across the African Sahel.1 The following pages illustrate how the ideas of the Great Green Wall can manifest in Dakar’s urban context in a way that is grounded in diverse local conditions and priorities
Our Mission
To create and build a more livable, sustainable, and greener Dakar metropolitan area.
Our Vision
A thriving global city, countryside, and coast that is resilient to climate change and rapid growth, where its residents have improved access to amenities and safe, well-connected communities — with sustainable development that enables stronger economic growth and a cleaner and greener environment for all.
Key Partners
