Natur’ELLES by Socodevi

The Natur’ELLES project is helping vulnerable communities to adapt to climate change by adopting natural solutions for conserving and preserving mangrove ecosystems, establishing more inclusive and equitable governance that benefits women and vulnerable groups, and ensuring that these communities benefit more from mangrove conservation.

Implemented by several partners, the initiative aims to increase the adoption of Nature-based Solutions (NbS) to preserve mangrove ecosystems, thereby sustaining biodiversity in ten protected areas (community marine protected areas – MPAs – and indigenous and community heritage areas and territories – ICHAs – in the Saloum and Casamance regions of Senegal. These biodiversity-rich areas serve as refuges for many species and play an essential role in the daily lives of local communities, particularly those that depend on natural resources to generate profits and improve their livelihoods. Mangroves are also crucial in the fight against climate change, absorbing large quantities of carbon and protecting coastlines from erosion and storms.

The project also promotes more inclusive and equitable governance of natural resources within mangrove ecosystems, particularly for women and their vulnerable communities, in order to guarantee equitable access to resources and more inclusive sustainable development. Finally, it aims to amplify the benefits, particularly the economic benefits, of conserving these mangrove ecosystems within the MPAs/ICHAs, thereby ensuring that women and their communities benefit significantly from climate change.

This project focuses on capacity-building, training and support for women and their communities in their efforts to adapt to climate change and conserve their natural resources.

The main results are aimed at the adoption of NbS by women and their communities, through support for studies on socio-ecological dynamics and restoration zones, the transfer of knowledge and the implementation of NbS adapted to mangrove ecosystems, the development and updating of protected area management plans, an environmental education and awareness-raising programme in several schools in Senegal, and the community implementation of ecological restoration and development plans.

Other expected results relate to inclusive governance, with the implementation of programmes such as functional literacy, feminist environmental leadership and climate agency, and mentoring for women to develop their technical, personal and advocacy skills to take up decision-making positions in protected area management bodies. It will also support and strengthen the governance of these bodies in order to improve their inclusiveness and management.

Finally, the project aims to improve people’s living conditions through organisational strengthening, improved productivity and financial empowerment of the economic activities of women’s groups living in MPAs/ICHAs by working on climate-friendly aquaculture systems and post-fishing practices that meet women’s interests. Natur’ELLES also supports women’s collective entrepreneurship and ecotourism projects that promote mangrove biodiversity.