Rehabilitation of the Sea Museum in Gorée - Initial steps

Gorée Island, off the coast of Dakar, was one of the first twelve sites listed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1978. The Musée de la Mer, founded in 1960 by the Institut Fondamental d’Afrique Noire (IFAN) is a unique scientific center with the mission to share knowledge on the heritage linked to the sea, as well as ecology, protection and functioning of marine ecosystems. Subject to recurring floods, the island and its architecture are suffering from constant and increasing erosion. Climate change and rising levels of humidity have strongly affected the building, a former hotel belonging to the 18th-century East India Company, and its collections. As part of a renovation campaign to protect the institution from meteorological hazards, the museum, closed since the Covid-19 pandemic, has the goal of becoming a reference source for maritime heritage and the importance of fighting climate change. The Musée de la Mer rehabilitation project involves two phases. The first consists of carrying out a detailed assessment of the architecture and existing damage, collecting the necessary documentation, and implementing initial first emergency measures. The second will use that information to plan a general rehabilitation project with concrete measures to mitigate the effects of climate change on the museum.