Director of Waters and Forests Babacar Dione called for deeper community involvement in ecological restoration across Ziguinchor during the Ministry of Environment’s ecological caravan, highlighting local initiatives ranging from youth-led tree maintenance at Kandialang to eco-school projects in Oussouye.
The push for grassroots environmental stewardship took center stage as senior forestry officials toured community-led conservation projects. The initiative emphasizes that long-term preservation of ecosystems depends heavily on the active participation of local residents, youth groups, and administrative leaders.
Community Mobilization in Kandialang
During a stop in the Kandialang neighborhood of Ziguinchor, officials observed young residents and local students actively working alongside older community members and forestry services to maintain newly planted vegetation (according to the outlet reported). The collective effort relies on community-driven solutions to safeguard natural resources. The colonel-major Dione s’exprimait ainsi au deuxième et dernier jour de la caravane écologique du ministère de l’Environnement et de la Transition écologique, entamée jeudi dans la région Ziguinchor, par le département de Bignona.
Colonel-Major Babacar Dione stated that in the Kandialang neighborhood, they had seen young people, including students, participate in the maintenance of reforested plants with the support of the elderly and the assistance of the forestry service, adding that this shows the need to involve communities in the restoration and preservation of the environment.
À Ziguinchor, au quartier Kandialang, il a salué l'engagement de la communauté
, notamment des chefs de village, délégués de quartier, responsables de jeunesse et groupements de femmes. The Association of Youth for the Development of Kandialang mobilized through a member-funded contribution system to purchase protective gabions. Il a cité en exemple l’Association des jeunes pour le développement de Kandialang, qui mobilized through a contribution system to acquire gabions intended to protect the reforested plants.
Protecting Public Green Spaces at Aline Sitoe Diatta Stadium
Forestry authorities also inspected the perimeter of the Aline Sitoe Diatta Stadium in Ziguinchor, where trees planted along the sports infrastructure require vigilance (the outlet reported). Le directeur des eaux et forêts a également salué l’engagement du directeur du stade Aline Sitoe Diatta et des agents des eaux et forêts, en charge de la protection des arbres plantés aux abords de l’infrastructure sportive. Stadium management and local forestry agents coordinate protection efforts against environmental degradation.
Colonel-Major Babacar Dione praised their display of courage, commitment, and selflessness, noting that for over a year they had taken care of maintaining and monitoring the trees against aggressions, which has made it possible to provide shade for sports practitioners and visitors to the stadium.
This sustained protection creates tangible benefits for the public, providing essential shade for athletes and visitors navigating the sports complex.
The Ecological Caravan’s Route Through Bignona and Oussouye
The field visits form part of the Ministry of Environment and Ecological Transition’s broader ecological caravan. The tour began on Thursday in the department of Bignona before concluding in Ziguinchor (as noted by regional press coverage).
Après le stade Aline Sitoe Diatta de Ziguinchor et les deux voies de Kandialang, la délégation s’est rendue à Oussouye pour visiter le projet “Éco-école” du collège d’enseignement moyen (CEM) de Boukitingho, dans la commune d’Oukoute. Following stops at the stadium and Kandialang thoroughfares, the delegation traveled to Oussouye.