– Canadian Lutheran World Relief
The Lake Chad basin is at the epicenter of one of the world’s most severe and protracted environmental crises. Over recent decades, the region has experienced massive biodiversity loss, soil degradation, and heightened vulnerability to climate change along with persistent military conflict. Restoring ecosystems and creating sustainable livelihoods for the long-term will require new and innovative solutions. However, the lack of extensive research in the area means there are limited proven evidence-based solutions that can be deployed.
That’s why the Gender Transformative Climate Adaptation Project in Cameroon and Chad has launched the CLWR-LWF Fund for Research on Nature-based Solutions along the Logone-Chari River System, which is providing new funding for young, African researchers that are investigating ways to address the climate crisis and support livelihoods. The project, and this scholarship program, is funded by the Government of Canada (GAC) and implemented through a shared partnership between Canadian Lutheran World Relief (CLWR) and the Lutheran World Federation (LWF).
Despite limited promotion, the fund attracted a total of 292 applications. Following a rigorous selection process, 15 researchers (eight from Cameroon and seven from Chad) received scholarships, which included seven women.
The fund supports research on a wide range of topics that contribute to improving livelihoods and restoring ecosystems. Researcher Akwada Ndoazen is working on identifying ways to improve governance of local fishers and increase community resilience, with a particular focus on climate-stressed urban contexts. A project led by Pierra Bassena is looking at how community agroforestry practices can contribute to income diversification, ecological restoration and empowerment of more marginalized people such as women and youth. His research aims to inform local policy to promote Nature-based Solutions (NbS) as tools for sustainable development.
Another example is research from Gaëlle S. Maguele, who is looking into how climate change impacts men and women differently based on their social, economic and cultural roles. The study aims to find ways to promote gender equality and strengthen community resilience, and is expected to inform local policies and interventions to increase the impact of climate responses in rural communities.
As the research work is ongoing, the fund will connect the researchers with staff implementing the project on the ground. The researchers and LWF staff hold regular meetings to find ways in which research could inform ongoing and future NbS programming. Early results already point to promising approaches with potential for significant impact.
Funding this research is an important way to contribute to sustainable climate adaptation solutions that are developed and tested by local researchers who both understand the local context and are committed to a better future for the region. It also contributes to gender equality in academics by advancing the careers of early-career female researchers in Chad and Cameroon, where conducting research can be challenging —especially for women—due to financial, logistical, and institutional barriers.
The Lake Chad basin’s challenges are complex, but they are not insurmountable. By investing in local research and fostering collaboration between scientists and practitioners, the project is laying the groundwork for solutions that are both innovative and rooted in local realities. These efforts go beyond technical fixes—they seek to empower women, support locally-led innovations, strengthen community resilience and restore ecosystems in one of the world’s most fragile regions.
Learn more about the project: Gender Transformative Climate Adaptation by Canadian Lutheran World Relief – NAbSA.