Sustainable Asset Valuation (SAVi) of Senegal’s Saloum Delta

This fact sheet describes the application of the Sustainable Asset Valuation (SAVi) methodology to the Saloum Delta in Senegal. The analysis, conducted by the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) in collaboration with Wetlands International – Africa (WIA) and the MAVA Foundation, provides a monetary valuation of ecosystem services and simulates the economic and environmental impacts of various development and conservation scenarios.

• The Saloum Delta's ecosystem services and associated labour income have significant monetary values over different timeframes. Over 10 years, ecosystem services are valued at CFA 964 billion (EUR 1.5 billion) and labour income at CFA 1,973 billion (EUR 3 billion). Over 40 years, these figures rise to CFA 3,589 billion (EUR 5.4 billion) for ecosystem services and CFA 9,729 billion (EUR 14.8 billion) for labour income.
• The Wetland Quality Index indicates that under business-as-usual (BAU) trends, the quality of the wetland will decline over time. While interventions like mangrove reforestation and organic agriculture reduce the overall degradation, they do not stop the long-term trend of ecosystem degradation.
• Mangrove reforestation, simulating 1,000 hectares per year over 10 years, is projected to increase the performance of ecosystem services by more than CFA 257,000 million (EUR 391 million).
• The use of solar cookstoves, with a scenario where 30% of households replace fuelwood by 2030, is highly effective at reducing greenhouse gas emissions, resulting in an avoided social cost of carbon exceeding CFA 33,000 million (EUR 50 million).
• Oil extraction generates high revenues but causes significant negative impacts on the ecosystem services provided by the Saloum Delta's wetlands and mangroves. The simulation of two oil spills over 40 years shows a reduction in healthy mangrove stocks, though some natural regeneration occurs after the spills.
• Organic agriculture, involving the conversion of 20% of agricultural land to organic practices over 10 years, is found to enhance ecosystem service performance and increase labour income across various sectors.
• Road construction, specifically the addition of 50 km of road in the Fatick region over 10 years, significantly impacts labour income in different economic sectors but also accelerates deforestation and increases pressure on natural capital.

APA

Bassi, A. M., Casier, L., Pallaske, G., Perera, O., & Bechauf, R. (n.d.). Sustainable Asset Valuation (SAVi) of Senegal’s Saloum Delta. International Institute for Sustainable Development. https://www.iisd.org/system/files/2020-08/savi-saloum-delta-senegal-brochure.pdf

Chicago

Bassi, Andrea M., Liesbeth Casier, Georg Pallaske, Oshani Perera, and Ronja Bechauf. Sustainable Asset Valuation (SAVi) of Senegal’s Saloum Delta. International Institute for Sustainable Development, n.d. https://www.iisd.org/system/files/2020-08/savi-saloum-delta-senegal-brochure.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Bassi |first1=Andrea M. |last2=Casier |first2=Liesbeth |last3=Pallaske |first3=Georg |last4=Perera |first4=Oshani |last5=Bechauf |first5=Ronja |title=Sustainable Asset Valuation (SAVi) of Senegal’s Saloum Delta |publisher=International Institute for Sustainable Development |url=https://www.iisd.org/system/files/2020-08/savi-saloum-delta-senegal-brochure.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{bassindsustainable, author = {Bassi, Andrea M. and Casier, Liesbeth and Pallaske, Georg and Perera, Oshani and Bechauf, Ronja}, title = {{Sustainable Asset Valuation (SAVi) of Senegal’s Saloum Delta}}, institution = {International Institute for Sustainable Development}, url = {https://www.iisd.org/system/files/2020-08/savi-saloum-delta-senegal-brochure.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }