Country details Senegal.
Senegal has an area of 200.000 square kilometer and a population of 11.759.000 people. The gross domestic product (BIP) is 11.123 million, which is 910 $ per person.
On the HDI Index (Human Development Index) Senegal is on number 166 – of 182 countries in total.
Senegal has already made quite an effort to diminish the poverty rate. Between 1995 and 2005 the rate has been reduced from 68 % to 57 % (In Benin for example it is still on 76%). More actual numbers do not exist, but the government is warning to interpret the numbers too optimistic.
The absolute number of poor households is even growing.
Poverty in rural regions is still one of the biggest problems.
Two third of the Senegalese population consider themselves as being poor.
The poverty in Senegal is in close relation to the lack of access to water, sanitation and energy.
The rural population is suffering a lot under the climate change and the corresponding natural disasters. There is a growing migration from the country into the city, mainly to the capital Dakar. This leads to unbearable living conditions in the cities with a growing number of disadvantaged groups (e.g. street children).
80 % of the gross domestic product is generated in Dakar. But the capital is only 1 % of the territory. The energy costs are one of the highest in the whole region. Our effort to reduce poverty is therefore directed towards the rural regions.
We offer access to energy through solar energy to enable small businesses.
Senegal is very sensitive to climate change. They had many flooding, grasshopper swarms and periods of droughts which have jeopardized the effort to reduce the poverty. The supply of the rural population with renewable energy is therefore very important. If small local enterprises could be generated the growing migration to the cities could be stopped.
The main part of the electricity comes from oil-fired power plants. The governmental SENELEC has a monopoly on generation, distribution and invoicing of electricity. The growing price for oil brings this company into severe economic problems , which leads to an energy crisis in the whole country. An emergency assistance of the government and foreign countries was not able to solve the problem. Two new power plants are under construction and should start production in 2010, one with petrol and one with coal.