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Lake Chad Basin Conservation Project (PCBLT) Duration: March 2023 – December 2026 Budget: CAD $25 million, + CAD $1.1M of in-kind contribution from Alinea and its consortium partners Financial Partner: Global Affairs Canada (GAC) Implementing Partner: Alinea International Strategic Partner: Lake Chad Basin Commission (LCBC) Consortium Partners: Centre for Forestry Education and Research (CERFO), Centre for Indigenous Environmental Resources (CIER), United Nations Association in Canada (UNAC), Centre for the Promotion of Human Rights and Development in Africa (CPHDA) Community Partners: AGIR Plus- Niger, Alliance Citoyenne pour le Développement et l’Education à l’Environnement (ACEEN-Cameroon) and Organisation Sauvons le Lac Tchad (OSLT-Chad) Introduction The Lake Chad Basin Conservation Project (LCBCP) strengthens the climate resilience of ecosystems and marginalized communities, particularly women and youth, across six Ramsar sites in Cameroon, Chad, and Niger. These regions face ecological degradation, biodiversity loss, hydrological instability, and increasing tensions around the utilization of natural resources. Project Pillars  Wetland Conservation & Climate Adaptation The project promotes the restauration and conservation of wetlands and agropastoral areas by marginalized communities highly vulnerable to climate change, across protected areas of the Lake Chad Basin registered under the Ramsar Convention. Through community-led restoration, climate adaptation practices, and environmental stewardship, the project protects fragile ecosystems while improving community resilience to climate shocks. Women & Youth Economic Empowerment The project supports women and youth in vulnerable agropastoral communities located within and around priority Ramsar sites to adopt and benefit from sustainable, climate-smart agricultural livelihoods. By strengthening adaptive capacities, income-generating activities, and access to productive resources, the project enhances food security, economic resilience, and adaptation to climate change. Environmental Peacebuilding & Leadership The project enhances the leadership of women and youth in environmental peacebuilding around targeted Ramsar sites and within existing regional stabilization processes. By strengthening inclusive governance, dialogue, and community engagement, the project reinforces social cohesion and peace across the Lake Chad Basin and contributes to the Regional Stabilization Strategy of the LCBC and its partners. Objectives The project aims to: Restore degraded ecosystems and strengthen biodiversity. Support the utilization of NbS for climate adaptation and resilience. Promote inclusive and equitable resource governance. Advance gender equality and social inclusion. Support climate-resilient livelihoods for women, youth, and marginalized groups. Strengthen cross-border environmental cooperation. Integrate environmental peacebuilding into regional stabilization processes. Key Activities and Components  Nature-Based Solutions & Ecosystem Restoration Restoring 10,000 hectares of wetlands and agropastoral areas. Promoting climate-smart agriculture and NbS-linked livelihood promotion. Training of 1,500 government and regional-level officials in NbS, resources mobilization, climate adaptation, and biodiversity preservation/monitoring.  Gender Equality & Social Inclusion Increasing women and youth participation in conservation and governance. Improving equitable access to natural resources, including land. Engaging men and boys as allies in gender-responsive climate action. Expanding gender-transformative initiatives that improve equity in decision-making, resource access, and leadership at both household and community levels.   Income-Generating Activities (IGAs) Supporting women-led and youth-led IGAs linked to NbS (agroforestry, sustainable fisheries, seed production, restoration services). Providing microgrants to community associations, cooperatives and small-scale producers. Offering coaching in green entrepreneurship, market development, and sustainable value chains. Promoting climate-resilient IGAs that support conservation and household income.   Community Governance & Environmental Peacebuilding Strengthening local and transboundary governance structures. Facilitating dialogue on natural resource use and developing natural resource management strategies at the community level. Providing technical assistance and training on environmental peacebuilding and monitoring and evaluation of stabilisation efforts   Zones of Intervention (Ramsar Wetlands Sites) Chad Lac Fitri Logone Floodplains & Toupouri Depressions Bahr Aouk & Salamat Floodplains Cameroon Waza Logone Floodplains  Niger Lac de Guidimouni Mare de Lasouri Expected Achievements and Impact The project aims to strengthen the climate resilience of ecosystems and marginalized communities, particularly women and youth, across the Lake Chad Basin through NbS. Its expected quantitative results are listed below: 10,000 hectares of wetland/agropastoral areas restored. 1,500 government and LCBC officials trained (30% women). 3,000 Gender Model Families sensitized and trained. 315,000 direct beneficiaries, including 75% women. Over 2 million people benefiting from improved ecosystem services. 2.7 million displaced persons indirectly benefiting from environmental peacebuilding integration.   Key Achievements   NB: As of October 2025 Restauration Mapping and public dissemination of ecological and socio-economic restoration sites completed, enabling coordinated planning and action among stakeholders. Tree-planting missions conducted in degraded forest, wetland, and agro-pastoral landscapes, with strong community participation. Labour-Intensive (HIMO) approach introduced to restore degraded wetlands and agro-pastoral lands, creating local green jobs and promoting inclusive restoration work. Restoration tools, equipment, plants, and seeds provided to local communities. Training of hundreds of community members in seed collection, nursery establishment, tree-planting, restoration techniques delivered Workshops on NbS financing offered to national government and regional officials. Multinational workshops on biodiversity monitoring systems, involving specialists from Chad, Cameroon, Niger, and partner countries, hosted. Coordination missions with technical services in forestry, agriculture, and environmental management implemented to strengthen institutional collaboration. Income-Generating Activities: 31 micro-grants (value of 4 million CFA each) offered to support innovative IGAs in wetlands, climate-smart agriculture, agro-pastoral production, and women-led green enterprises. Capacity-building missions conducted to strengthen micro-grant recipient groups in management, financial literacy, and sustainability. Women’s groups knowledge and network empowered thought their participation in national platforms exhibitions and forums. Training delivered on (micro)business development and management to community groups, associations and cooperatives. Women and youth integrated into field-based activities, including restoration work, nursery development, and IGA expansion.   Gender Equality: Development of the first National Action Plan for Women’s Land Rights in Chad, a landmark policy achievement integrating gender equality into land governance and national restoration priorities, and a Regional Action Plans on Women’s Land Rights also developed and adopted in Cameroon, strengthening regional alignment and multi-country commitment to gender-responsive land governance. Rollout of the GMF approach with civil society partners, including mentor training, community sensitization, and development of household-level gender action plans. Strengthened gender-responsive programming, with women and youth increasingly participating in natural-resource governance, restoration committees, and community dialogues. Introduction and expansion of the masculine leaders’ approach, engaging influential men and male youth as allies in gender equality, supporting household transformation, and promoting positive masculinities in

Technical Support Project for the Restoration of the Ecological and Economic Functions of the Lake Chad Basin (PARFEBALT) Overview The PARFEBALT Project is a multinational initiative implemented by the Lake Chad Basin Commission (LCBC) with financial support from the African Development Bank Group (AfDB). The project aims to lay the technical, institutional, and knowledge foundations necessary for the long-term revitalization of the Lake Chad Basin. Covering Cameroon, Chad, Niger, Nigeria, and the Central African Republic, PARFEBALT responds to the urgent need to address environmental degradation, declining water resources, and socio-economic vulnerabilities affecting millions of people in the region. The Lake Chad Basin, home to over 45 million people, has experienced significant shrinkage and ecosystem degradation due to climate variability, unsustainable resource use, and demographic pressures, making restoration efforts both urgent and strategic.   Project Development Objective The overall objective of PARFEBALT is to: Restore the ecological and economic functions of Lake Chad and strengthen the resilience of basin populations through improved water resource management, ecosystem revitalization, and enhanced institutional capacity. The project also aims to create the necessary conditions for mobilizing large-scale investments for the restoration and sustainable development of the basin.   Project Components Component 1: Preparatory Studies for the Lake Chad Revitalization Programme Objective: Develop the technical and analytical basis for future large-scale investments. Key Activities: Conduct technical, environmental, socio-economic, and climate studies Assess options to improve water flows in the Chari–Logone and Komadugu-Yobe river systems Prepare bankable investment programmes for Lake Chad restoration Undertake feasibility studies and environmental and social impact assessments.   Component 2: Support for Improving Knowledge of Water Resources Objective: Strengthen monitoring systems and enhance understanding of basin dynamics. Key Activities: Expand hydrometeorological and hydrogeological monitoring systems Establish early warning systems for floods and droughts Improve data collection, analysis, and information sharing Build technical and institutional capacities within LCBC and Member States.   Component 3: Project Management Objective: Ensure effective implementation, coordination, and monitoring of project activities. Key Activities: Establish and operate the Project Management Unit (PMU) Implement monitoring and evaluation systems Conduct financial and procurement audits Strengthen coordination among stakeholders   Expected Results Improved knowledge and monitoring of water resources in the Lake Chad Basin Development of technically sound and investment-ready restoration programmes Strengthened institutional and technical capacities of LCBC and Member States Enhanced regional cooperation and coordination in water resource management Mobilization of financial resources for large-scale basin restoration initiatives.pdf)   Cross-Cutting Themes Climate Resilience: Addressing climate variability and strengthening adaptation strategies Gender and Inclusion: Promoting participation of women and youth in governance and economic activities Regional Integration: Enhancing cooperation among Member States Peace and Stability: Supporting sustainable livelihoods and reducing resource-based conflicts.   Alignment with Strategic Frameworks PARFEBALT is aligned with key regional and international development frameworks, including: LCBC Strategic Action Programme (2023–2035) African Development Bank’s High 5 Priorities Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) – particularly SDG 6, SDG 13, and SDG 15 African Union Agenda 2063.   Financing and Implementation Executing Agency: Lake Chad Basin Commission (LCBC) Financing Partner: African Development Bank Group Total Project Cost: Approximately UA 7 million (AfDB financing). Implementation Period: 2025 – 2028.pdf)   Conclusion PARFEBALT represents a critical milestone in the collective efforts of LCBC Member States and partners to reverse decades of environmental decline in the Lake Chad Basin. By strengthening knowledge systems, institutional capacity, and investment readiness, the project lays the foundation for a sustainable, resilient, and prosperous future for the region.   Contact Implementing Agency: Lake Chad Basin Commission (LCBC) Financing Partner: African Development Bank Group (AfDB)