News

A comprehensive World Bank-supported sustainable forest management program in Senegal has put communities in charge of local natural resources.  Community-led management committees now oversee forest management plans in the participating regions, which cover 80 percent of the country’s forested areas.  As a result, deforestation has seen a tangible drop, with over 23,000 hectares protected. 

With the support of ESMAP’s Africa Renewable Energy Access (AFREA) Gender and Energy program, the project has successfully integrated gender considerations into its activities, achieving gender equity in local committees and boosting the participation of women in new businesses.  The share of participating community total income  going to women has risen from 3 percent in 2009 to 12 percent in 2013, with additional increases expected in the years to come.