A planned urban development near Senegal's famous Lac Rose, also known as the Pink Lake, has stirred concern among environmental activists and small tourism operators. The Green City project is expected to cover more than 200 hectares of land close to the lake on the outskirts of the capital region.
According to the plans, the development would include thousands of housing units, with figures of up to 18,000 homes cited, alongside renewable energy facilities and civic infrastructure. It has been promoted as a smart, eco-friendly urban project designed for the future.
Supporters argue that the scheme could help ease the pressure on Dakar's rapidly growing population by providing new housing and services. For them, the project represents a chance to plan for a population that continues to expand year after year.
Campaigners, however, fear the cost to the environment could be too high. One activist described the project as a disaster that risks disfiguring Lac Rose, warning that it would involve levelling the sand dunes and the strip of Casuarina trees planted to protect the lake and the surrounding coastline.
Activists say the dunes and trees form a natural barrier that helps shield the lake and nearby communities from coastal erosion and flooding. They warn that heavy construction could weaken that protection and permanently alter the area's delicate ecosystem.
The concern is also economic. Many small businesses around Lac Rose depend on the visitors the lake attracts, and operators fear the project could change the very character of the area that draws people there in the first place.
For some residents, the stakes are deeply personal. The project does not suit us, one said, explaining that the community has only the Pink Lake to rely on and that it is where they earn their living. Opponents argue that a development cannot be called green if it destroys the natural systems that already protect the coastline.