WACA + Mauritania

Within the framework of the WACA project in Mauritania, the project team, under the aegis of the World Bank, wished to organise a national workshop aimed at initiating a collective dynamic around the preparation of a future WACA+ project. The aim is to capitalise on the achievements of the WACA programme, while fully integrating the blue economy dimension into a vision of sustainable development for Mauritania's coastline and maritime domain.

In this context, SML has produced a preliminary report analysing the blue economy in Mauritania, including an analysis of Mauritania's maritime and coastal capital, a focus on Mauritania's blue economy sectors and a SWOT analysis.

The workshop, led by SML in cooperation with Connection Leadership, was then held in Nouakchott from 9 to 11 April 2025. Its aim was to build a common understanding and vision of the challenges of the blue economy in Mauritania, to share the achievements of the WACA project and to put them into perspective with a view to expanding towards the sea. The workshop also provided an opportunity to set up a WACA+ preparation committee and draw up an action plan to mobilise stakeholders and partners around the future project.

The workshop led to the formulation and prioritisation of recommendations for the Blue Economy and for the resilience of coastal communities in Mauritania.