The second edition of the Forum for Green Local Innovations and Solutions (FISOL-2) opened this Thursday in Guédiawaye, under the theme "Nature-based solutions and endogenous development in West Africa." This event highlights local initiatives addressing the region's climate, environmental, and socioeconomic challenges.

In a context marked by the intensification of the effects of climate change, the scarcity of natural resources and tensions related to access to basic social services, the actors gathered at the forum argued for a paradigm shift.

For Cheikh Tidiane Dièye, Minister of Water and Sanitation, the time has come to reinvent development models.

"The challenges related to climate change, pressure on natural resources, access to water, sanitation, employment and social cohesion require us to change our paradigm. Imported solutions, often disconnected from local realities, are now showing their limitations," he said.

The minister highlighted the relevance of nature-based solutions, led by local communities, women and youth.

According to him, these approaches constitute "credible, effective and economically viable" responses, particularly suited to strategic sectors such as water, sanitation, agriculture, health and territorial resilience.

FISOL-2 aims to be a platform for convergence between public policies, scientific research, community innovation, private investment, and international partnerships. Its objective is to promote endogenous development that values local resources and strengthens the autonomy of territories.

Through this second edition, the Forum for Green Local Innovations and Solutions aims to bring forth models that can be replicated on a regional scale, placing nature and communities at the heart of sustainable development strategies in West Africa.