As part of the Niowan Saloum project in Senegal, ULB-Coopération supported a scientific mission to study the melliferous plants on the islands of Dionewar, Niodior and Falia. The aim: to combine local knowledge and scientific research to develop sustainable, income-generating beekeeping that respects ecosystems.

In the islands of the Saloum delta, the effects of climate change are undermining the livelihoods of local populations. Beekeeping presents itself as a sustainable alternative, capable of diversifying income while enhancing biodiversity. However, scientific knowledge of the melliferous plants in the Sangomar Marine Protected Area (MPA) remains limited.

Find out more, Mamadou Lamine Goudiabythen a student at Cheikh Anta Diop University in Dakar and now an agronomist and environmentalist, conducted research in two phases between March and April 2025:

1. An ethnobotanical survey with 28 people, including beekeepers from the Sangomar islands and technical staff from the Palmarin Community Nature Reserve (RNCP) and the Sangomar MPA Directorate, to learn more about melliferous species, beekeeping practices and plant protection and regeneration mechanisms. The survey revealed a wealth of local knowledge about melliferous species, but also a need for technical training to improve the quality and value of honey.
2. A floristic inventory of the islands of Dionewar, Niodior and Falia to characterise the diversity and abundance of melliferous plants using 15 transects (5 per island) one kilometre long and 100 metres wide. The transects were traversed in all directions in order to record all the species present. This inventory identified 89 species in 35 botanical families, of which 95 % are melliferous and therefore potentially beekeeping. Shell mounds and undisturbed agroforestry plots appear to be suitable sites for apiaries.

The results of this mission pave the way for training beekeepers in modern techniques, promoting niche products such as mangrove honey and cashew nuts, and integrating beekeeping into the sustainable management of island ecosystems.

Combining biodiversity conservation and economic development, beekeeping could become a real lever for socio-economic and environmental resilience for the communities of Sangomar.