The Saloum Delta Landscape

Located in west-central Senegal, the Saloum Delta is shaped by the Saloum, Diombos, and Bandiala rivers. Their waters wind through a dense network of bolongs, saltwater channels that form a distinctive landscape of islands and wetlands, mangroves and iconic trees such as baobabs and kapok. Intertidal flats, permanent and seasonal vegetated wetlands, and sandy shores modelled by tides and seasonal flows, add to the delta’s complexity. Beyond the core delta, dunes, and dry open woodland create a transition from coastal environments to inland ecosystems.

The delta’s importance is three-fold: for biodiversity, for climate and for livelihoods.

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The Saloum Delta supports over 200 bird species and is a critical stopover for hundreds of thousands of migratory waterbirds along the East Atlantic Flyway. Large congregations of waders and seabirds, such as sandpipers, plovers, terns, and gulls, define the site, recognised as an Important Bird Area (IBA) and one of West Africa’s key ornithological landscapes. Furthermore, the delta shelters several threatened wildlife species, including the African manatee and sea turtles. Notably, it is one of only five areas known to host significant populations of the critically endangered Atlantic humpback dolphin, underscoring the importance of continued monitoring and protection.

Mangroves are central to the Saloum Delta, covering nearly 18% of its total area. Mangroves can store around five times more carbon than many terrestrial forests, especially in their soils. Therefore, their climate-mitigation potential is highly significant in this area. They also strengthen resilience by stabilising shorelines and helping reduce coastal erosion.

A mosaic of coastal, inland, and man-made wetlands supports the livelihoods of people living in and around the delta. More than 150,000 inhabitants depend directly on mangrove-related livelihoods and resources, including fisheries and the collection of oysters and other shellfish, as well as materials used for fuel and construction. A recent assessment by the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) and Wetlands International estimated that mangrove ecosystem goods and services in the Saloum Delta could contribute €1.5 billion to the local economy over ten years.

Despite its importance, the Saloum Delta faces mounting pressures. Overfishing, mangrove harvesting, and unsustainable timber use threaten key habitats, while offshore oil and gas exploration around Sangomar and large-scale infrastructure developments—such as hotels, roads, and ports—add stress to already fragile ecosystems. Adding to these threats, climate change, including sea-level rise and changing rainfall patterns, could disrupt freshwater inflows, increase water stress, and accelerate saltwater intrusion, further undermining the delta’s ecological balance and the services it provides.

The delta’s immense value is recognised under multiple protection frameworks, including as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve, and through two Ramsar sites (Palmarin and the Saloum Delta National Park). These designations, combined with the high blue-carbon value of mangroves, create an opportunity to attract climate finance, strengthen community-based management, and scale up restoration.

Protection status alone will not secure the delta’s future. Safeguarding the Saloum Delta will require decisive action to reduce pressures and strengthen local stewardship: supporting sustainable livelihoods, restoring degraded areas, and implementing practical management plans that improve sustainable use while protecting key habitats and species. These measures should be paired with targeted monitoring and knowledge-building to guide enforcement and management, especially to reduce bycatch of marine megafauna, address critical gaps for threatened species, and ensure fisheries are managed sustainably for the long term.