Université Gaston Berger

Université Gaston Berger

Université Gaston Berger (UGB) appears to have a strong environmental focus, both in academic study and in hands-on community projects. This makes sense given Saint-Louis’s environmental challenges: coastal erosion, desertification, water management, biodiversity loss, and agricultural sustainability.

Here are some of the university’s main environmental studies and projects:

Environmental Research and Academic Programs

Water and Environmental Governance (Pôle Eau)

One of UGB’s major environmental research initiatives is the Pôle Eau (Water Pole), a specialized research group focused on water systems and ecological management. �

Gteau +1

Their work includes:

Senegal River and delta management

Water security in the Sahel

Urban water systems

Biodiversity and wetlands

Ecohydrology (the relationship between ecosystems and water)

Climate adaptation in coastal and rural communities

This is especially important in Saint-Louis, where the city sits between the Senegal River and the Atlantic Ocean, making flooding, saltwater intrusion, and shoreline change major concerns.

Biomass Energy and Agricultural Waste Innovation

UGB has invested in a Biomass Energy Laboratory, which studies how agricultural waste can be turned into renewable energy. �

Université Gaston Berger +1

Projects include converting:

peanut shells

rice husks

cashew shells

into cleaner energy sources for local businesses and communities.

This connects environmental science with:

climate resilience

rural economic development

reducing dependence on imported fuels

UNESCO Chair in Sustainable Bio-Based Engineering (IDBIO)

UGB recently launched a UNESCO Chair in Sustainable Engineering of Bio-Based Products, in partnership with INSA Toulouse in France. �

Université Gaston Berger +1

This initiative focuses on:

recovering renewable resources

reducing waste

sustainable materials innovation

training students from bachelor’s through PhD levels

creating environmentally focused jobs

Agroecology and One Health

UGB also leads projects on agroecology—farming that works with ecological systems rather than against them. �

Sud Quotidien

Their “URBANE” project connects:

sustainable agriculture

food security

animal health

human health

environmental monitoring

using the One Health framework (the idea that human, animal, and environmental well-being are interconnected).

Campus Environmental Action

The university also practices environmental stewardship on campus.

Recent initiatives include:

Campus Waste Clean-Up and Recycling

The student-led UGB Verte (Green UGB) collective organized large-scale campus waste collection and environmental audits. �

Université Gaston Berger

They identified major waste issues such as:

plastic bags

water sachets

plastic bottles

and are advocating for alternatives.

Tree Planting and Re-Greening

Students have participated in:

planting mango, banana, papaya, and moringa trees

creating small gardens

re-greening parts of the campus to support resilience against drought and desertification �

Université Gaston Berger

Conservation Partnerships

UGB students have also volunteered with the Langue de Barbarie National Park, helping protect bird habitats and maintain ecological areas near Saint-Louis. �

Université Gaston Berger

Why This Matters in Saint-Louis

Saint-Louis is a fascinating place to study environmental change because it faces many urgent ecological realities:

coastal erosion threatening neighborhoods

encroaching desert conditions

river and ocean interactions

wetland biodiversity pressures

waste management challenges

climate migration and adaptation

UGB seems deeply connected to these issues—not just academically, but through community service and regional partnerships.

If you are staying near Sanar, you are very close to a university where students and researchers are actively thinking about how people can live more sustainably in a fragile and changing landscape.

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