Environment and climate change is one of the most important topics for 2nde oral and written exams. 🔹 Environmental problems : • climate change — long-term shift in global temperatures • global warming — rise in Earth's average temperature • greenhouse effect — heat trapped by CO₂ and other gases • deforestation — large-scale destruction of forests • desertification — fertile land turning into desert (major issue in Sahel) • pollution — air, water, soil, plastic, noise pollution • flooding / drought — extreme weather events • species extinction / loss of biodiversity 🔹 Solutions : • renewable energy (solar, wind, hydroelectric) • recycling and waste reduction • reforestation — planting trees • sustainable agriculture • international agreements (Paris Agreement, COP summits) 🔹 Senegal and the environment : • The Great Green Wall initiative — tree-planting across the Sahel • Coastal erosion in Saint-Louis and Dakar • Solar energy development (SENELEC, solar villages) 🔹 Useful language : • Unless we act now, the consequences will be catastrophic. • Individual actions matter, but governments must also take responsibility. • Developing countries are the least responsible but the most affected.

📝 Essay plan : 'Is climate change the biggest challenge of the 21st century?' Para 1 — Yes, climate change is the greatest threat : Rising temperatures are causing more frequent extreme weather events. In Senegal, desertification in the Sahel is destroying farmland and forcing families to abandon their villages. Coastal cities like Saint-Louis face serious flooding risks. Unless CO₂ emissions are drastically reduced, future generations will inherit a planet in crisis. Para 2 — Other challenges are equally urgent : Poverty, conflict and inequality also threaten millions of lives today. It is difficult to ask people living in extreme poverty to prioritise the climate when they are struggling to survive. Para 3 — Conclusion : While other problems are urgent, climate change is unique because it amplifies all other challenges. A rising sea level does not just flood homes — it destroys communities, crops and economies. Therefore, addressing climate change is addressing all other global issues simultaneously.