The Bay of Hann is a twenty kilometre expanse of fine sand adjacent to Dakar port, in Senegal. Once considered to be one of the most beautiful bays in the world, today it is severely degraded by the build-up of waste, in particular plastic waste, industrial emissions and the discharge of wastewater. The proliferation of plastic waste is endangering coastal ecosystems, entangling and asphyxiating fauna and polluting flora over the long term. It poses a serious threat to the blue economy, in particular fishing and tourism, and there is also a significant health risk for inhabitants who are exposed to micro plastics. In Senegal, plastic pollution is recent, caused by new consumption habits and the proliferation of packaging. It is estimated that approximately 80% of plastic waste in the sea comes from the earth, compared to 20% brought in by tides.
To reduce marine plastic pollution, plastic production and use needs to be limited, in particular packaging, and local collection and recycling systems, which lack financial and technical resources, need to be boosted.
A study conducted by GRET and presented to all local stakeholders made it possible to diagnose and explain the causes of coastal plastic pollution. It also generated strong expectations of concrete actions to improve inhabitants’ surroundings and protect marine and coastal ecosystems.
To address this situation, GRET’s teams and their partners are conducting a project to reduce plastic waste in the Bay of Hann. The project has three main areas of action.
Firstly, it is carrying out concerted diagnosis through participative sciences, rolling out characterisation campaigns at five sites in the bay with local and environmental associations. In parallel, awareness-raising activities are taking place, with prioritisation of actions to be conducted and mobilisation of the various stakeholders concerned.
Secondly, the project aims to strengthen local stakeholders’ knowledge and capacities, in particular civil society organisations, so that they can acquire greater understanding of issues around plastic pollution and develop initiatives to deal with it. This can be done through the dissemination of study results.
Thirdly, plastic waste collection and recycling will be improved at three pilot sites. In concrete terms, the project will support the implementation of actions to reduce plastic pollution, by improving pre-collection in coastal neighbourhoods, boosting recycling capacities, and contributing to urban development and plastic carpentry. This work will be carried out as part of an action plan co-constructed with local communities.
This project is being conducted by GRET and its partners: Surfrider, Zéro déchets, Jeunes reporters citoyens, local associations, municipalities, SONAGED, PROMOGED.
GRET conducted a study to analyse sources of marine pollution and characterise the different types of waste present in 4 coastal Senegalese cities (Saint-Louis, Dakar, Mbour and Ziguinchor). It found that plastic waste (mainly plastics and polystyrenes from food packaging, household products and drinking water bags) account for 80% of the waste present at these sites. The recycling rate was 22%, while 42,000 tons of plastics could be recovered every year.
Operational recommendations were made for each city, to prevent the proliferation of waste and better manage its collection and re-use. Local solutions exist to reduce pollution. For example, Senegalese regulations banned plastic drinking water bags, which are highly polluting and difficult to recycle. However, this ban is not applied because no implementing decree was passed. In Dakar, several recycling actors are already active and numerous civil society actors are working to reduce this pollution. Their activities would benefit from technical support.
