Green Growth Pathways in Senegal

Senegal’s situation has been characterized by successive years of underperformance in key sectors of the economy including inadequate access as well as high cost of electricity, low agricultural productivity, weak urbanization. Combined with the economy’s vulnerability to exogenous shocks (climatic shocks, energy crisis, low value-added of exports, etc.), the result is persistent poverty, unemployment and social inequality both in rural and urban areas. Senegal has recognized the need to diversify its energy mix and attract private sector investments to ensure a competitive supply of electricity in the industrial zones and agricultural areas that have strong economic potential. The agriculture sector is highly vulnerable to climate change, high costs of inputs such as fertilizers, declines in harvests, etc., resulting into more unemployment, high food prices and extensive imports. Ineffective urban development planning without growth has also led to consistent environmental and urban challenges that exacerbate the social inequalities and urban poverty.