A monitoring mission, led by the coordinator of the Senegal River Valley Community Resilience and Development Project (PRDC-VFS), toured the beneficiary municipalities to assess the progress of the infrastructure. This ambitious program aims to strengthen the resilience of riverside communities (in Senegal and Mauritania) through three pillars: the development of resilient infrastructure, support for the local economy, and inclusive governance.

26 billion CFA francs invested in two years

To address the climate and socio-economic challenges of this northeastern region of the country, the project has significantly increased community-based initiatives. Investments cover a wide range of sectors: fish farms, vaccination parks, slaughterhouses, as well as educational, water, health, and sports infrastructure. In total, the municipalities benefited from two rounds of funding in 2024 and 2025, representing a total investment of 26 billion FCFA.

A successful decentralization model

During a Departmental Development Committee (CDD) meeting held in Matam, Mamadou Dièye, coordinator of the PRDC-VFS, expressed his great satisfaction. He particularly praised the commitment of local elected officials to the process: "Empowering municipalities is the credo of all development actors. If there is territorial coaching behind it, it produces results, and that is what we have seen on the ground," he emphasized.

The urgent need for flood protection

Following the mayor of Matam, the prefect of the department, Ms. Tening Faye, welcomed this initiative, which tangibly strengthens decentralization. She also took the opportunity to advocate for greater consideration of flood risks. In this regard, she expressed her relief regarding the Diamel flood protection dike construction project. This infrastructure is an absolute priority for the local population, who are regularly affected by the river's floods.