Senegal: Sustainable and Participatory Energy
World Bank, Findings, Good Practice, Infobrief, Africa Region No. 122 March 2006

The Sustainable and Participatory Energy Management project - PROGEDE ( IDA $ 5.2 million; DGIS $8.8 million; GEF $4.7 million) was implemented by the government between 1997 and 2004. From project preparation to supervision the World Bank worked in close collaboration with Dutch Co-operation (DGIS). At the time of project preparation, forest-based traditional fuels ( firewood and charcoal ), mainly used for household
cooking purposes, represented 53% of Senegal’s final energy consumption, and 76% of charcoal consumption was in the principal urban areas. Over the years, the operation of the charcoal industry had resulted in (i) the gradual loss of forest cover ( approximately 30,000 ha per year) and thus of the ecosystem’s carbon sequestration
capacity and biodiversity; (ii) the degradation of the rural environment (particularly soils ); (iii) the impoverishment of the rural areas; (iv) an acceleration of rural exodus; and, (v) a massive transfer of wealth from the rural communities to a few urban-based woodfuel traders.¡Ups!