Promoting local development through heritage conservation and enhancement and tourism on the island of Saint-Louis (Senegal)

After the World Heritage Committee warned in 2016 that the poor state of conservation of the property could lead to its inscription on the List of World Heritage in Danger, a number of local, national and international partners have gotten together to devise a comprehensive heritage conservation programme which aims to improve the state of conservation of the property while promoting sustainable local development and tourism. As a consequence of the progressive implementation of this plan, the Committee decided not to inscribe the Island of Saint-Louis in the List of World Heritage in Danger.

About the city of Saint-Louis

The Island of Saint-Louis is located in the heart of the city of the same name, in the north of Senegal, approximately 270 km from the capital, Dakar. The Island of Saint-Louis was inscribed on the World Heritage list in 2000 under criteria (ii) and (iv).

Founded as a French colonial settlement in the 17th century, Saint-Louis was urbanised in the mid-19th century. It was the capital of Senegal from 1872 to 1957 and played an important cultural and economic role in the whole of West Africa. The location of the island at the mouth of the Senegal River, its town planning layout, its quays, and the characteristic colonial architecture give Saint-Louis its distinctive appearance and identity.

The built fabric of the Island of Saint-Louis includes both historical buildings from the 19^th and early 20^th centuries, and more recent constructions of domestic character. Even though numerous inventories and studies have documented its built heritage, conservation works have been scarce. Rising damp and limited economic resources of building owners are contributing to an accelerated degradation of the built fabric, with 59% of buildings in an average, bad or dangerous state of conservation. At the same time, a lack of general awareness about the heritage values of the property and insufficient building monitoring mechanisms have resulted in improper additions and interventions.

The inclusion of the site on the World Heritage List has aided the implementation of a number of tools to improve the conservation and management of the site. These include an exhaustive inventory (2004), a Conservation and Enhancement Plan, performing the functions of the management plan (2006) and the creation of a safeguarding committee who brings together all stakeholders involved in the management of urban heritage. In 2012, the Government of Senegal, in collaboration with the public administration and civil society, organised an inter-ministerial council for the safeguarding of the Island of Saint-Louis.

According to the site manager, the conservation of the city’s rich cultural heritage remains a pressing challenge. Between 2005 and 2021, several State of Conservation reports were presented to the World Heritage Committee, and Reactive Monitoring Missions were carried out in 2009, 2014 and 2017. In 2016, the World Heritage Committee warned that the lack of significant progress in the implementation of the recommendations made by the Committee and the reactive monitoring mission were putting the property in “specific and proven imminent danger” (Decision 40 COM 7B.18). The Committee added that, in absence of significant progress in the implementation of these recommendations, it would consider the possibility to inscribe the property on the List of World Heritage in Danger at its 41st session in 2017.

Promoting local development through heritage conservation and enhancement and tourism

In response to the Decisions of the World Heritage Committee and addressing the rapid degradation of the cultural heritage of the city, a Tourism Development Programme, including a detailed heritage conservation and promotion programme, has been implemented thanks to a collaboration with the State of Senegal and the French Development Agency (AFD). Started in 2012, the project was relanced in 2018, and is expected to run until September 2023. It has a total budget of 24,5 million euros. The Tourism Development Programme is developed and implemented by a consortium of partners including:

• National Agency for the Promotion of Investment and Large Works (APIX): project management and coordination as designated project manager
• Ministry of Culture (Directorate of Cultural Heritage): rehabilitation of public buildings, as the designated project manager for the rehabilitation of public buildings.
• Municipality of Saint Louis: the designated project manager for the rehabilitation of public spaces, improvement of solid waste management and renovation of privately-owned buildings (in collaboration with building owners).
• Syndicat d’Initiative – Tourism Office: designated project manager for the support programme for tourism actors.
• Chamber of crafts: designated project manager for the reconstruction of the artisanal village and capacity reinforcement amongst  craftspeople.

The main goal of the programme is to promote sustainable social and economic development in the region of the Senegal river, and especially in its urban centre, Saint-Louis. At the same time, the initiative aims to improve the habitability and environmental sustainability of the city and revitalise the local traditional arts and crafts.

The programme consists of five key areas of action:

1. Conservation and rehabilitation of built heritage: the project includes 118 private buildings, as well as five historical monuments: the Cathedral of Saint-Louis; Gouvernance de Saint-Louis; Rogniat Sud; the Maison des Soeurs de Saint-Joseph de Cluny (a former nunnery which will become the Maison du Patrimoine), and Khayar Mbengue School (former School des Otages).

2. Rehabilitation of public spaces: the project aims to beautify and enhance the urban heritage; improve the liveability of the historic areas for different user groups; and reorganise the different functions of the public spaces, to include events, walking, vehicle circulation or tourism.

3. Improvement of the solid waste management system: a new building for the Municipal Department of Technical Services will be constructed, and new equipment will allow the collection and transportation of solid waste in separate categories.

4. Reinforcing the touristic offer: a range of different actions are planned, including:

• Improvements to workspaces and infrastructure in craft and tourism businesses, in order to improve the working conditions of craftspeople.
• Capacity building and strengthening of stakeholders and actors in the tourism and crafts sector.
• Coaching sessions to enhance the quality of local artisanal production.

5. Creating jobs: the site manager reports that more than 400 temporary jobs will be created curing the project implementation. After its completion, the programme is expected to result in the creation of more than 800 permanent positions.

The project includes a community and stakeholder engagement programme involving the creation of several committees for project piloting, follow-up and management; regular meetings, workshops and discussion groups with building owners and urban actors; socio-economic surveys and development of partnerships with local associations and learning centres.

The main challenges faced during the implementation of the project relate to the coordination between the different stakeholders and initiatives which are implemented in parallel. For example, the upgrade of the waste management system requires a strong coordination between different departments and disciplines. In order to address this issue, the National Agency for the Promotion of Investment and Large Works (APIX) was designated as the project manager and contracting authority. Additionally, the lack of information, communication and awareness about issues related to cultural heritage and sustainable development remains a major challenge. To address this problem, the project team has devised a communication strategy on four directions: institutional, public relations, social and digital. Finally, the site manager has highlighted the negative effects of the global pandemic caused by COVID-19, which has hindered the development of the project and delayed its implementation.

While the project is still under way and suffering from delays in its implementation, a number of important actions have already been implemented as of June 2021. For instance, the Municipality of Saint-Louis, the Senegalese Bank for Habitat (Banque de l’Habitat du Sénégal), the National Agency for the Promotion of Investment and Large Works (APIX) and private building owners have signed a partnership agreement to promote the conservation of privately owned buildings.

In addition, an Emergency Fund for the Safeguarding of the Architectural Heritage of Saint-Louis, pooling the financial contributions of the State and the private sector, was set up in 2018 and included in the draft budget of the State Programme of Prioritary Actions 2019-2023 (see the 2019 State of Conservation report).

At the same time, a number of interventions in the historic fabric have already been carried out, including the rehabilitation of the cathedral and some public spaces and streets in the touristic areas.

As a consequence, the World Heritage Committee at its 43^rd Session noted with satisfaction the efforts made by Senegal to implement the previous recommendations made by the Committee and the reactive monitoring missions (Decision 43 COM 7B.110) and ruled out the possible inscription of the property in the World Heritage List in Danger. Following the rehabilitation of the cathedral and the Heritage House, the State of Conservation of the site was once again examined by the World Heritage Committee in its 44^th Session. The Committee expressed their satisfaction with the efforts made by Senegal, as well as for the effective governance of the property and the fund-raising efforts. Additionally, the Committeerequested additional documentation and Heritage Impact Assessments for ongoing and future projects which might impact the Outstanding Universal Value of the property. Taking into account the many major projects underway or under preparation at the property and the significant ongoing transformations, the Committee requested the deployment of a Reactive Monitoring mission to the property before the 46^th Session of the World Heritage Committee in 2023 (Decision 44 COM 7B.120).