Heritage, creativity, and climate resilience in West Africa
Senegal, celebrated for its music, visual arts, and vibrant festivals, is one of West Africa’s cultural powerhouses. From the rhythms of mbalax to the Dakar Biennale of Contemporary African Art, creativity is central to Senegal’s global identity. Yet the country also faces serious ecological challenges: coastal erosion, desertification, plastic waste, and climate change. In response, artists and cultural institutions are increasingly embracing sustainability in the arts — blending traditional eco-practices with recycled art, eco-fashion, and climate storytelling.
Senegal’s artistic heritage reflects deep ecological knowledge and resourcefulness:
Textiles & weaving: Hand-dyed fabrics, including bazin and indigo cloth, historically used natural dyes and sustainable methods.
Wood carving & sculpture: Artisans create masks, figures, and instruments from local woods, celebrating spirits and ecology.
Pottery & ceramics: Clay vessels and cookware are eco-friendly and locally made.
Music & instruments: Drums, koras, and balafons are made from gourds, skins, and wood — connecting rhythms to nature.
Oral traditions & storytelling: Griots preserve ecological wisdom, teaching respect for land, rivers, and farming cycles.
These practices form the ancestral foundation for Senegal’s eco-arts revival.
Dakar has become a hub for recycled art, with artists transforming scrap metal, plastics, and e-waste into sculptures and installations. Public murals also address climate resilience and waste reduction.
Senegal’s fashion designers are reviving indigo dyeing and weaving while experimenting with upcycled fabrics and eco-conscious production. The rise of sustainable fashion in Dakar connects heritage with global slow fashion movements.
Musicians — from traditional griots to international stars like Youssou N’Dour — use their platforms to highlight themes of environmental stewardship, desertification, and social justice. Music becomes a bridge between culture and climate action.
Community theatre troupes use performance to engage with rural and urban audiences on coastal erosion, desertification, and waste management, making sustainability both educational and entertaining.
The Dakar Biennale (Dak’Art) and Saint-Louis Jazz Festival often showcase eco-art installations, sustainable fashion, and performances with environmental messages, placing Senegal at the heart of Africa’s cultural-ecological dialogue.
Ndary Lo (late sculptor) – known for large-scale recycled metal sculptures symbolizing resilience.
Senegalese eco-fashion designers – blending heritage textiles with sustainable global trends.
Village women’s weaving cooperatives – sustaining eco-livelihoods through basketry and textiles.
Dak’Art Biennale – West Africa’s leading visual arts festival, increasingly featuring climate-conscious art.
Youth collectives in Dakar – painting climate-themed murals and creating installations from waste.
Coastal erosion threatening fishing villages and cultural heritage sites.
Desertification in the Sahel, reducing resources for crafts.
Plastic waste in cities, especially Dakar.
Funding limitations, with eco-art projects often relying on NGO or international support.
Eco-tourism & cultural heritage: Linking eco-art to Senegal’s festivals and heritage sites (Gorée Island, Saint-Louis) could boost sustainable tourism.
Global eco-fashion: Dakar could become a leader in sustainable African fashion markets.
Youth empowerment: Eco-art workshops in schools and creative hubs could build climate-conscious generations.
Regional networks: Senegal could spearhead West African eco-arts collaboration with Mali, Ghana, and Côte d’Ivoire.
In Senegal, sustainability in the arts is both a revival of tradition and a response to modern challenges. From recycled metal sculptures and eco-fashion to climate-conscious griot songs and the Dakar Biennale, artists are transforming creativity into advocacy. As Senegal faces coastal erosion and desertification, its arts sector is becoming a cultural compass for resilience, sustainability, and pride in heritage.