Climate change in Senegal

GCSE courses include questions about the social, economic and environmental impacts of climate change. This case study considers how Senegal in West Africa, and particularly the city of Saint-Louis, is being affected by climate change and how governments and local people are responding to the climate crisis.

Jo Outram

Figure 1 Location of Senegal in West Africa

As climates change around the world, we are seeing a wide range of effects on people and the environment. Extreme weather events, like droughts, are reducing crop yields and impacting food security. More intense floods, combined with sea level rise, are inflicting widespread damage.

The least developed low-income countries (LICs) are likely to face the biggest impacts of climate change. They are also the least resilient and have the least resources to adapt to changing weather patterns and landscapes.