In Sénégal, the ceremonial laying of the first stone for the high-end green city project at Lac Rose near Dakar signals a green light for investors eyeing premium studios and villas—all sold off-plan. Yet, despite the government’s push, opposition from local residents is intensifying.

Over the past days, Ibrahima Mbaye, president of the Lac Rose collective (Protéger le Lac Rose, in wolof), has mobilized every available channel—social media campaigns, on-ground rallies, and direct appeals to officials—to halt the project. For Mbaye, the development poses an existential threat to the fragile ecosystem of Lac Rose, a natural barrier against ocean encroachment and home to 6,000 workers whose livelihoods depend on the lake. Salt harvesters, restaurant owners, and tourism operators are among those who stand to lose if the lake’s preservation is compromised.

« The term ‘green city’ is just a buzzword meant to mislead the public into believing this will be a smart, eco-friendly urban space. We who live here know better. The site is dominated by sand dunes and a protective greenbelt planted to combat coastal erosion. Tourists don’t come to see towering concrete structures defacing Lac Rose. Once these buildings rise, tourism—and with it, local incomes—will vanish. »

The Egyptian multinational Casa Orascom, responsible for the project, insists construction is underway and claims it can « build while preserving » the environment, in line with commitments made to the sénégalais government. The company projects the creation of 20,000 direct and indirect jobs from the construction phase alone.