AT THE CROSSROADS OF NATURAL AND HUMAN SCIENCES: THE EVALUATION AND PROSPECTS FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE GEOSITES OF BAKEL CITY (TAMBACOUNDA REGION, SENEGAL)

Bakel, located in the Tambacounda region, is the capital of the department of the same name. It lies in the far east of the country on the left bank of the Senegal River, which separates it from Mauritania. The relief is generally flat but dotted with a few hills and small depressions formed by streams. The exposed geological formations date from the Paleoproterozoic to the Pliocene epochs. The presence of the river has facilitated settlement in the area since the Late Pleistocene, and navigation has furthered the arrival of colonists since the early 19th century. It is connected to National Route 2 (RN2) by a 5 km stretch and is located 65 km from Kidira. This study aims to identify and assess the geosites within the municipality and propose strategies for their development. Based on our observations and the results of previous work, we carried out an evaluation of the criteria used by the authors for the creation of geosites in this municipality. Thus, the scientific, cultural, ecological, aesthetic, and economic values were assessed for nine geosites, eight of which were anthropogenic and one hydrological.