Strengthening Biodiversity Strategies in Senegal
WITH IUCN and THE FRENCH DEVELOPMENT AGENCY (AFD)
As part of a national project under the multi-country program BIODEV2030 Phase 2, led by IUCN with support from AFD and Expertise France, LEAF Inspiring Change and CIRAD, facilitate a series of multi-stakeholder workshops in Saly, Senegal, between September and December 2025. The three-day workshops bring together government officials, private-sector leaders, and civil-society actors to identify major threats to biodiversity, share experiences, and co-develop concrete actions to integrate biodiversity into productive practices.
Using TerriStories® to Simulate Challenges and Solutions for Biodiversity
Participants engage in an innovative role-playing game, TerriStories®, designed to simulate real-world decision-making and highlight the trade-offs between economic activities and environmental protection. The interactive methodology encourage active participation, strengthened mutual learning, and support the co-creation of cross-sector strategies.
Through this interactive approach, stakeholders step into the realities of three emblematic territories facing pressures such as pollution, overexploitation, and ecosystem fragmentation. Over the course of the workshops, the game guides participants in exploring contextual challenges, identifying priorities, and shaping concrete actions. By simulating real decision-making dynamics, TerriStories® created a space for negotiation, shared understanding, and the co-construction of solutions tailored to national and territorial needs.
At the conclusion of the first two workshops, around 120 concrete actions were identified, covering ecosystem restoration, legal enforcement, economic revenue alternatives, awareness-raising, and governance improvements. Many address multiple sectors, emphasizing the need for cross-sectorial action.
The third workshop is yet to come.
Reflecting on the workshop, participants shared their perspectives
“I appreciated the transversal and multidisciplinary nature of the participants.”
“I discovered socio-economic dimensions of biodiversity conservation.”
“I learned about balanced and equitable management of space among actors with different interests.”
Reinforcing Collaboration and Trust
After all three workshops, consolidated action sheets will be developed to guide biodiversity policy implementation, detailing actors, responsibilities and key steps.
The workshops proof to reinforce collaboration and trust among participants and demonstrate that biodiversity can be integrated on an equal footing with economic and social considerations in collective decision-making. The intense dialogue spaces held over three days also emerged to be an appreciated step towards building a national community of practice dedicated to sustainable development and biodiversity conservation in Senegal.
Story written by: LEAF, edited by LEAF
Photo credits: LEAF
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