Climate Change Adaptation for Women in Protected Areas of Congo and Chad

The ELLESadAPt project aims to enhance climate change adaptation for women and ecosystems in the protected areas of Parc National de Conkouati-Douli in the Republic of Congo and Complexe d’Aires Protégées de Binder-Lere in Chad while also protecting biodiversity. The project focuses on implementing nature-based solutions such as agroecology and the restoration of lake lagoon and forest ecosystems. It is grounded in a feminist climate justice perspective and women’s empowerment. Project activities include: (1) Monitoring the biological ecological and climate conditions of the protected areas; (2) Providing technical and financial support to women in the implementation of productive nature-based solutions; and (3) Developing a gender-sensitive management and climate change adaptation plan for the protected areas. The project is being implemented by a consortium formed by Desjardins International Development and Baastel Consulting Group Ltd. with the collaboration of local partners such as Noé Congo and Noé Tchad as well as microfinance institutions in both countries. ELLESadAPt directly benefits 2 100 women entrepreneurs on the outskirts of the 2 targeted protected areas and is expected to indirectly reach all members of their communities totaling 115 700 people. The project also aims to have a positive impact on the capacities of local public intermediary partners and civil society in areas such as biodiversity conservation human rights entrepreneurship financial services and gender equality.

The expected results of this project include: (1) Increased conservation of threatened biodiversity and ecosystem services in protected areas through nature-based solutions that enhances women’s resilience to climate change and their capacity to manage natural resources; (2) Increased adoption of productive nature-based solutions by women entrepreneurs producing additional biodiversity benefits; and (3) Increased implementation of local land use plans and management practices for protected areas that are resilient to climate change gender-sensitive and protective of threatened biodiversity.