Lake Chad Basin Conservation Project

The Lake Chad Basin Conservation Project strengthens the climate resilience of ecosystems and marginalized communities across a region especially vulnerable to the impacts of climate change.

About the Project

The Lake Chad Basin Conservation Project is a four-year initiative funded by Global Affairs Canada and implemented by Alinea International in collaboration with a consortium of Canadian and African partners, including the United Nations Association in Canada. The project works across six Ramsar-designated wetlands in Cameroon, Chad, and Niger to restore degraded ecosystems, support sustainable agriculture, and strengthen the equitable management of natural resources.

The project takes an integrated approach that recognizes the close relationship between environmental stress, livelihoods, social cohesion, and long-term peace. By combining local knowledge with practical conservation strategies, it addresses immediate community needs while advancing durable, climate-resilient solutions across the Lake Chad Basin.

What the Project Supports

 

• • Nature-based climate solutions across six Ramsar-designated wetlands

• • Restoration of degraded ecosystems and protection of biodiversity

• • Sustainable agricultural practices and improved natural resource management

• • Dialogue and practical solutions to reduce tensions related to natural resource use

• • Community-based approaches that strengthen resilience, inclusion, and environmental stewardship

Partnership and Regional Collaboration

The Lake Chad Basin Conservation Project is delivered in collaboration with the Lake Chad Basin Commission and a broad network of Canadian and African partners, including CERFO, CIER, UNA-Canada, CPHDA, OSLT, ACEEN, and Agir Plus. This partnership model creates space for regional dialogue while grounding implementation in local realities, expertise, and community relationships.

As a consortium partner, UNA-Canada contributes to a project that connects climate action, inclusive participation, and peacebuilding. The collaboration supports cross-border learning, practical local action, and shared stewardship of critical ecosystems.

Why This Work Matters

Communities across the Lake Chad Basin are experiencing the combined pressures of climate change, ecosystem degradation, insecurity, and constrained access to natural resources. In this context, conservation cannot be separated from livelihoods, inclusion, and peace. This project recognizes that reality and supports solutions that protect ecosystems while also helping communities adapt, cooperate, and lead.

By building on traditional knowledge, local governance structures, and community-based action, the project supports a conservation approach that is practical, participatory, and responsive to long-term climate resilience.