Senegal has considerable assets that can be leveraged to attract investments in sustainable development and conservation. The country's mangroves, fisheries, marine protected areas, and terrestrial ecosystems are essential to food security, coastal protection, tourism, and economic activity. According to Olivier Santi, managing partner of Cristal Capital, a Geneva-based investment fund, these natural resources constitute a vital natural capital that must be protected, maintained, and valued sustainably.
The preservation of Senegal's natural heritage must be viewed as a long-term investment rather than a simple environmental charge. Santi emphasizes that local communities must be involved in the preservation of this heritage and find a direct economic interest in it. He suggests that trust funds for conservation offer a proven model for articulating natural and financial capital, converging economic, environmental, and social interests.
The anchoring of trust funds for conservation at the local level allows communities to be associated with the protection and valuation of their heritage while securing long-term financing. In Dakar, preparatory work on the creation of a conservation trust fund, presented in Bissau by Wetlands International and its partners, represents a concrete step towards evaluating needs and structuring financing.
The African trust funds, gathered in Bissau, have expressed their willingness to strengthen their autonomy, diversify their resources, and mobilize more capital on the continent. A few days later, in Geneva, the Building Bridges international meetings, dedicated to sustainable finance, took place from October 6 to 8, 2026, and echoed this ambition to move from commitments to investments by mobilizing capitals around structured projects adapted to African realities.
According to Santi, a similar dynamic is at work from Bissau to Dakar and Geneva: converging initiatives, skills, and capitals so that the preservation of natural heritage becomes a genuine engine of sustainable economic development in Senegal. The trust funds for conservation offer a model that has been tested and proven to articulate natural and financial capital.
The preparatory work on the creation of a conservation trust fund in Dakar is an essential step towards evaluating needs and structuring financing for conservation in Senegal. This initiative aims to bring together local communities, conservation organizations, and financial institutions to support sustainable development and conservation in the country.
The international meetings in Geneva, Building Bridges, focused on sustainable finance and the mobilization of capitals for sustainable development and conservation. These meetings highlighted the importance of converging initiatives, skills, and capitals to support sustainable development in Africa and Senegal.
Key points
- Senegal is leveraging its natural capital to attract investments in sustainable development and conservation.
- The country is exploring the creation of a conservation trust fund to support sustainable development and conservation.
- International meetings in Geneva highlighted the importance of converging initiatives, skills, and capitals to support sustainable development in Africa and Senegal.
