Ruptly
"Environmental activists in Dakar are battling to save the city's iconic 'Pink Lake' (Lac Rose) from a public-private redevelopment plan, known as Green City, that will see the construction of 18,000 housing units. Footage captured on Saturday shows activists taking part in a cleanup drive around the Pink Lake to mark World Environment Day by the Lac Rose Association. Nearby, small tourism operators prepare for the arrival of visitors. Activists opposing the project warn that heavy construction will destroy large parts of the protective coastal sand dunes and increase the risk of floods. "This project is truly a disaster that really risks disfiguring Lac Rose," said Ibrahima Mbaye, President of Aar Lac Rose Association. "It means they are going to level the sand dunes—the dunes that formed naturally along with the strip of casuarina trees planted to protect Lac Rose and the entire coastline." The area, home to one of Senegal's most renowned natural attractions and a year-round draw for visitors, has become the focus of growing opposition from local tourism operators, who argue the plan would devastate the region's hospitality sector. "This project does not suit us. We only have the Pink Lake. This is where we earn our living to support our families," explained tourism operator Ibrahima Konte. The Green City (Ville Verte) project is a massive $1.3 billion urban development plan, spread across 216 hectares near Lac Rose. The construction initiative aims to build up to 18,000 eco-friendly homes and surrounding civic infrastructure. The 'smart city' has been pitched as a way of promoting renewable energy and easing Dakar's urban congestion."
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