Human mobility and urban flood risk: Dakar’s case

This case study examines the links between human mobility and urban flood risk in Dakar, Senegal. It describes how worsening environmental conditions, including water scarcity, reduced pasture availability and shifting harvesting seasons, are driving population movements across Senegal, while many rural residents fleeing droughts and poverty have settled on Dakar’s outskirts, often in flood-prone zones. The publication outlines recent programmes aimed at mitigating flood risks, including a community-based disaster risk reduction programme and nature-based solutions that encourage agroecological practices among migrant workers. 

The case study reports that more than 63,000 people were reached through flood-risk awareness and resilience activities, while improved drainage and flood management infrastructure now protects approximately 900 hectares and benefits over 150,000 people. It highlights that flood governance has increasingly shifted towards integrated and participatory approaches. Key lessons include acting early and using evidence, linking risk understanding to policy despite cost barriers, sustaining governance reforms beyond project timelines, and addressing persistent data gaps on migrants and displaced populations.