World Heritage Identification Number: 1359
World Heritage since: 2011
Category: Cultural Heritage
WHE Type: Protected Areas & National Parks
Transboundary Heritage: No
Endangered Heritage: No
Country: 🇸🇳 Senegal
Continent: Africa
UNESCO World Region: Africa
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Saloum Delta: A Rich Cultural and Natural Landscape in Senegal
The Saloum Delta, located in Senegal, is a unique and significant area that combines rich cultural heritage with a diverse natural landscape. Inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2011, this 5,000 square kilometer property spans across the confluence of three rivers – the Saloum, Casamance, and Gambia – and extends into the North Atlantic Ocean.
More to come…UNESCO Description of the World Heritage Site
Fishing and shellfish gathering have sustained human life in the 5,000 km2 property, which is formed by the arms of three rivers. The site comprises brackish channels encompassing over 200 islands and islets, mangrove forest, an Atlantic marine environment, and dry forest.
The site is marked by 218 shellfish mounds, some of them several hundreds metres long, produced by its human inhabitants over the ages. Burial sites on 28 of the mounds take the form of tumuli where remarkable artefacts have been found. They are important for our understanding of cultures from the various periods of the delta's occupation and testify to the history of human settlement along the coast of West Africa.
UNESCO Justification of the World Heritage Site
Criterion (iii): With its numerous shell mounds, associated landscapes and the presence of a rare and well-preserved ensemble of funerary tumulus mounds, the Saloum Delta provides exceptional testimony to a coastal lifestyle, in a Sahelian subtropical environment, with brackish water rich in shellfish and fish.
Criterion (iv): All the shell mounds built up over a 2,000 year-long cultural process have formed a physical structure of stable islets and reclaimed land within the Saloum Delta. The resultant cultural landscapes are exceptional and illustrate a long period of the history of human settlement along the West African coast.
Criterion (v): The Saloum Delta is an eminent example of traditional human settlement. It represents a lifestyle and sustainable development based on the gathering of shellfish and fishing, in a considered interaction with a natural environment of extensive but fragile biodiversity.
Encyclopedia Record: Saloum Delta
Saloum Delta or Sine-Saloum Delta is a river delta in Senegal at the mouth of the Saloum River where it flows into the North Atlantic Ocean. The delta covers 180,000 hectares. It extends 72.5 kilometers along the coastline and 35 kilometers inland.Additional Site Details
Area: 145,811 hectares
Number of Components: 1
(iv) — Outstanding example of a type of building or landscape
(v) — Outstanding example of traditional human settlement
Coordinates: 13.8352777778 , -16.4986111111
Image
USGS, Public domain
World Heritage Research
Discover scientific research and academic studies that deepen our understanding of Saloum Delta from its history and significance to its conservation, management, and contemporary challenges.
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Characterization and Risk Assessment of the Collapse of the Woody Stand of Ecosystems of the Fathala Forest (Saloum Delta Biosphere Reserve-Senegal)
The Fathala Forest within Senegal's Saloum Delta Biosphere Reserve is critically endangered, with its woody plant formations deteriorating at alarming rates due to anthropogenic pressures and climate change. Research reveals a collapse rate of -6 individuals per hectare annually in gallery forests and -4 in clear forests, along with a cover loss of -3.75% and -2.9%, respectively. The study identified 56 woody species across 22 families, with higher density in unfenced areas (369 ind/ha in clear forest vs. 160 ind/ha in fenced areas). Using IUCN red list criteria and dendrometric methods, the research highlights a shift from Sudanese forest to wooded savannah, threatening species like the Red colobus. These findings underscore urgent conservation needs for this UNESCO-listed ecosystem.
Kaly, E., Sarr, O., Diatta, S., Diouf, A. A., Diouck, D., & Ngom, D. (2021). Characterization and Risk Assessment of the Collapse of the Woody Stand of Ecosystems of the Fathala Forest (Saloum Delta Biosphere Reserve-Senegal). American Journal of Plant Sciences, 12(07), 975–993. https://doi.org/10.4236/ajps.2021.127066
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Impact of soil salinity on mangrove restoration in a semiarid region: a case study from the Saloum Delta, Senegal
Mangrove restoration efforts in semiarid regions face significant challenges due to soil salinity, with red mangroves (Rhizophora mangle) showing severe reductions in growth and survival at salinities above 60 ppt. This study highlights that such conditions severely impair stomatal conductance, photosystem II efficiency, and seedling survival after 1–3 years. In contrast, black mangroves (Avicennia germinans) thrive in exceptionally hypersaline environments (90 ppt), representing some of the most saline vegetated ecosystems on Earth. The research, conducted in the Saloum Delta, Senegal, provides critical insights for improving species selection in coastal wetland restoration projects to enhance their success rates.
Devaney, J. L., Marone, D., & McElwain, J. C. (2020). Impact of soil salinity on mangrove restoration in a semiarid region: a case study from the Saloum Delta, Senegal. Restoration Ecology, 29(2). Portico. https://doi.org/10.1111/rec.13186
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The perceptions of stakeholders on current management of mangroves in the Sine-Saloum Delta, Senegal
Mangrove management in the Sine-Saloum Delta, Senegal, faces significant challenges due to divergent stakeholder perceptions. A study using Q methodology identified three distinct discourses: 'Official,' 'Happy Villagers,' and 'Unhappy Villagers.' While all agree on the need for improvements, they disagree on the necessary changes, highlighting polarization in views. The research underscores the importance of clear guidelines for participatory management, with consensus areas offering opportunities for sustainable interventions while dissensus points require further discussion to enhance current management regimes.
Arumugam, M., Niyomugabo, R., Dahdouh-Guebas, F., & Hugé, J. (2020). The perceptions of stakeholders on current management of mangroves in the Sine-Saloum Delta, Senegal. Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science, 247, 106751. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecss.2020.106751
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Diet and Foraging Range of Slender-Billed Gulls Chroicocephalus genei Breeding in the Saloum Delta, Senegal
A significant shift in the diet of Slender-billed Gulls (Chroicocephalus genei), a vulnerable species with a restricted breeding range, was observed in the Saloum Delta National Park, Senegal. The study found that while cichlids remained a dominant component, the proportion of mugilid fish in their diet increased markedly between 2000 and 2015. GPS tracking of three individuals in 2014 revealed extensive foraging ranges, with gulls covering up to 96 km daily and utilizing diverse habitats such as mangrove-bordered lagoons, salt pans, creeks, rivers, abandoned rice fields, and the Atlantic coast near a fishing village in The Gambia. Individual foraging behaviors varied significantly, highlighting the need for targeted conservation strategies that account for species-specific ecological requirements.
Veen, J., Dallmeijer, H., Schlaich, A. E., Veen, T., & Mullié, W. C. (2019). Diet and Foraging Range of Slender-Billed Gulls Chroicocephalus genei Breeding in the Saloum Delta, Senegal. Ardea, 107(1), 33. https://doi.org/10.5253/arde.v107i1.a8
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Land cover changes on the West-African coastline from the Saloum Delta (Senegal) to Rio Geba (Guinea-Bissau) between 1979 and 2015
Between the late 1970s and mid-2010s, wooded areas along the West African coastline from Senegal's Saloum Delta to Guinea-Bissau's Rio Geba expanded by 2% in mangroves and 3.5% on dry land, driven primarily by mangrove growth—particularly pronounced in recent decades. This net increase masks significant regressions offset by even greater progressions, with dynamic sectors outpacing stable ones. The study employed LANDSAT TM imagery and undirected classification techniques, enhanced by Principal Component Analysis to refine radiometric contrasts and reclassify misallocated pixels, revealing complex land cover dynamics over 36 years.
Andrieu, J. (2018). Land cover changes on the West-African coastline from the Saloum Delta (Senegal) to Rio Geba (Guinea-Bissau) between 1979 and 2015. European Journal of Remote Sensing, 51(1), 314–325. https://doi.org/10.1080/22797254.2018.1432295
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Atlantic humpback dolphins Sousa teuszii in the Saloum Delta (Senegal): distribution, relative abundance and photo-identification
A groundbreaking survey of Atlantic humpback dolphins (Sousa teuszii) in the Saloum Delta, Senegal, reveals the highest recorded population size for this species, estimating at least 103 individuals. Conducted over 1,617.5 km of boat-based coverage in 2015, the study documented 30 sightings, with dolphins predominantly found within 2.082 km of shore, often traveling between the Saloum and Diomboss rivers and crossing into Gambia. The relative abundance was notably higher in the Diomboss, reaching 0.331 individuals per kilometer. Photo-identification confirmed movement patterns and social dynamics, with groups averaging 9.3 animals and at least three neonate calves observed. Behavioral observations suggested a combined travel-forage strategy, with dolphins captured on camera feeding on mullet (Mugil sp.). These findings provide critical insights for the conservation and management of this endangered species within its range.
Weir, C. (2016). Atlantic humpback dolphins Sousa teuszii in the Saloum Delta (Senegal): distribution, relative abundance and photo-identification. African Journal of Marine Science, 38(3), 385–394. https://doi.org/10.2989/1814232x.2016.1216893
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