Dr. Ousmane Aly Pame and REDES: Building Ecovillages in the Sahel


Dr. Ousmane Aly Pame and REDES: Building Ecovillages in the Sahel

In the heart of the Sahel, where climate change and desertification challenge the survival of communities, Dr. Ousmane Aly Pame has emerged as a pioneer of sustainable development. A scholar, visionary leader, and former mayor, Dr. Pame is the founder of REDES (Réseau pour l’Émergence et le Développement des Écovillages au Sahel), a community network dedicated to transforming traditional villages into ecovillages.

From Academia to Eco-Leadership

Dr. Pame earned his doctorate in literature from Cheikh Anta Diop University in Dakar and later a State Doctorate in 2015. In 2009, he was elected mayor of Guédé Chantier, a town of about 9,000 residents in northern Senegal. His leadership quickly gained international attention when he began transforming Guédé Chantier into one of Africa’s first eco-municipalities.

The model combined regenerative farming, sustainable water systems, renewable energy, and biodiversity protection, proving that even rural Sahelian communities could thrive under ecological principles.

Founding REDES

Inspired by this success, Dr. Pame founded REDES in 2015. The network has since grown to include more than 100 villages in Senegal and Mauritania. Its projects are wide-ranging: planting food forests, building wells, promoting organic agriculture, introducing renewable energy, managing waste, and strengthening community education.

Through REDES, villages are not only improving their immediate livelihoods but also restoring fragile ecosystems and building resilience to the climate crisis.

A Pan-African Vision

As president of the Global Ecovillage Network Africa (GEN-Africa) from 2012 to 2020, Dr. Pame brought the ecovillage model to the continental stage. He successfully advocated for the Senegalese government to support ecovillage development as a national strategy, demonstrating the potential of bottom-up solutions to influence national policy.

Dr. Pame’s philosophy is clear: Africa’s future must be shaped by local knowledge, community resilience, and environmental justice, rather than imposed models of development. For him, sustainable progress grows from within communities, drawing on Africa’s rich human and natural resources.

Looking Ahead

Today, REDES continues to partner with universities, NGOs, and international networks to expand its vision across the Sahel. Each ecovillage becomes a living classroom, offering hope that the challenges of desertification and poverty can be met with creativity, cooperation, and respect for nature.

In the words of Dr. Pame, simplicity, sharing, and community spirit are not only the roots of happiness, but also the seeds of Africa’s sustainable future.



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