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Strengthening the resilience of the local communities means strengthening the link between humans and nature, developing the communities' governance of their environment and their quality of life. As demonstrated by UNESCO's Man and the Biosphere Programme since 1971, the only path to achieving climate change adaptation and poverty reduction sustainably is through restoring harmony between humans and nature. UNESCO replicates these principles in the Lake Chad basin through 3 main lines of actions: restoring ecosystems, fostering a green economy, and assisting Member States in creating designated sites that are exceptional in their restoration of the relationship between humans and nature.

UNESCO, together with the local communities and stakeholders, is restoring degraded ecosystems in the region of Bol, Chad, with the support of international and local partners (Eden Project, University of N'Djamena, Great green wall, CECOQDA). 

In Artomossi, harvesting and processing spirulina (Spirulina arthrospira platensis) is a significant economic activity, due to its high nutritional value and the important income generated by its sale. About 200 women produce the algae in the area; however, the progressive silting up of Artomossi and strong winds are preventing them from working. UNESCO and the Great Green Wall, along with the local communities, are working to restore the nearby ouadi, which will facilitate the harvest. In agreement with the local population, a borehole will be dug to give them access to drinking water, thanks to the support of PRESIBALT Chad. The women are also obtaining certifications for the production of spirulina, strengthening their capacities and increasing their financial resilience. 

In Khaya, there are many people who have been displaced from the islands of Lake Chad by Boko Haram, and they rely on fishing in traditional canoes for their income. Every day, the catch is salted and then consumed or sold locally. Discussions with the fishermen revealed that the catch was dwindling and the fish were getting smaller and smaller. 

UNESCO is working with them to identify and geo-reference spawning grounds and introduce an effective no fishing/crossing area for sustainable fishing. Income-generating activities based on green economy will be implemented to diversify their sources of income. 

In Njar Ngourta, the wadi is no longer connected to the lake and thus water is scarce. The surrounding villages rely on agriculture and pastoralism for their livelihoods. Without water, the vegetation is degraded and livestock roams at large. Few other commercial products or other food sources are available.

UNESCO, with the University of N'Djamena, analysed the feasibility of building a sluice gate, flooding the wadi once more for the nearby 7 villages. Financial partners are being approached to fund the work. 

UNESCO organised consultations with local populations around Lake Chad to assess their needs and wishes. 

In Nigeria for instance, a large consultation was organized in the newly-designated Hadejia Nguru Bade Biosphere Reserve to present several income-generating activities compatible with a green economy. The proposed activities were all relevant to the ecosystem and market of the region, for example beekeeping and slug-farming. After a vote, fish-farming was chosen by the communities. Likewise, in Ndélé, Central African Republic, an activity on the production and processing of shea nuts was introduced. In the region of the Sena Oura National Park, Chad, beekeeping was selected. 

 

Trainings for trainers were organised at the inception of the project by UNESCO's partner, the Forestry Research Institute of Nigeria (FRIN). By training trainers, a large number of indirect beneficiaries is reached. AIWOCCAN, a Cameroonian organization, was present during this early-on training. Later, they trained the indigenous women of Andirni and Djermé (Cameroon) in sustainable farming and other practices linked to their daily lives (keeping food warm, building sustainable ovens, etc.). They also trained these women in teaching what they learnt in the villages nearby, and a training manual was developed. 

All around Lake Chad, communities were trained in various activities in order to master the whole process of production. For instance in Niger, near Diffa, women were not only trained in extracting oil from the balanites fruit and processing it, but also in taking care of the trees and soil sustainably to ensure the durability of their activity. 

Through their work, the communities are strengthening their economy and their ability to adapt to future hazards. They set up activities that generate income and savings in a sustainable way by producing manufactured goods like balanites oil in Niger, or shea-based cosmetics in the Central African Republic, which have added market value compared to the raw products. They also became less dependent on market availability by producing their own food, notably in Bara (Chad), thus increasing their food security. The semi-nomadic indigenous women of Bara have been working together to enhance the development of their activity by setting-up a cooperative to perpetuate their crop farming activity (buying the necessary seeds or equipment together or organizing the sale of crops through the cooperation). With the Association des Femmes Peules Autochtones du Tchad (AFPAT), they also bought land, a first for women in the region. 

Local communities are at the heart of the Man and the Biosphere Programme and the World Heritage Convention. Behind the ideology of the BIOPALT project "for and by communities" is the vision of these two UNESCO programmes. 

In order for a site to be designated, local communities must be consulted and must approve the nomination file, otherwise the proposal for designation is not admissible. In this context, 91Â鶹¹ú²ú¾«Æ·×ÔÅÄ organized awareness-raising, consultation and feedback workshops for each of the activities organized as part of the BIOPALT project. The communities have a better understanding of their environment, of what it provides for them and what they can do to protect it. By taking ownership of the nomination process, they reclaim their link to their environment. 

UNESCO designated sites are full of sometimes unsuspected resources. Biological, hydrological or human, they are the heart of what makes these sites exceptional. In order to capture this exceptionality, 91Â鶹¹ú²ú¾«Æ·×ÔÅÄ undertaken studies on biophysical, socio-economic and cultural data in the intervention zones of the five countries (Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Niger, Nigeria) of the BIOPALT project. 

The results of these studies will be used to support nomination dossiers for inscription on the World Heritage List or in the World Network of Biosphere Reserves. One study, for example, has updated our knowledge of the fauna and flora present in the basin, in particular endangered species, and another on the ecosystem services that a given site provides. The results of these studies were also used in BIOPALT project activities on natural and cultural resource management.