Since 2003, Senegalese singer-songwriter Baaba Maal has been committed to various development challenges in Africa, working with different U.N. family organizations.
When the gas rig arrived off the coast of Saint-Louis, residents of this seaside Senegalese town found reason to hope. Fishing has long been the community’s lifeblood, but the industry was struggling with climate change and COVID-19 .
The challenges facing Africa are real, but depending on who you talk to, the solution is either to risk it all for a better life in Europe or stay on the continent and fight for a better future there.
In Senegal, rising seas have led to devastating coastal erosion. If there is a war against climate change, the UNESCO World Heritage city of Saint-Louis is on the front lines. And the ocean is winning.
Saint-Louis is the former colonial capital of Senegal, and it is filled with ornate 19th century villas. It is also the city that the U.N. has called the "most threatened by sea level rise in the whole of Africa."
