The Project takes place in the Senegal’s Kaffrine Region, which faces serious socio-economic challenges. This has created a complex situation where environmental degradation and poverty are deeply intertwined. The region’s reliance on subsistence farming, coupled with erratic rainfall, keeps household incomes low, averaging just 40,000 CFA francs (approximately USD 66.70) per month.

The lands in the proposed Reserve area are currently in a degraded state with low levels of carbon sequestration. In the Classified Forests of Maka Yop, illegal logging, overgrazing, charcoal production, and uncontrolled fires have significantly reduced the forest cover to the point where the forest is half of its original size. Lands outside the classified forest area have also been affected by degradation, primarily due to agricultural and pastoral use.