Community resilience to the health impacts of climate change in the Logone Plain (Cameroon and Chad)
The aim of this research is to highlight, disseminate and permanently archive the endogenous knowledge and actions taken by a wide range of communities south of Lake Chad in response to the impacts of climate change on their health.
Humanitarian or social context and problems
The Far North of Cameroon and Western Chad, around the Chari and Logone rivers, regularly face climatic crises marked by extreme events such as flooding and increased drought. The authorities’ efforts to develop climate change, risk and disaster management diagnostics have identified four main strategic sectors as vulnerable: agro-pastoralism, transport, energy and urban development. However, community health issues related to the impacts of climate change have not yet been studied in depth, although they are mentioned in the National Adaptation Plans for Climate Change (PNACC). This gap between proposed adaptation solutions and the real needs of local communities sometimes reduces the effectiveness of humanitarian responses to disasters and health risks. At the same time, climate change is exacerbating the living conditions of populations, directly or indirectly exposing them to increased health risks. Against this background, this research aims to link endogenous knowledge with the impact of climate change on the health of the population in an ecologically fragile area.
The objectives of this research are
- Define the spatio-temporal changes in the living environment caused by climate change in relation to the health of the population;
- Identify and characterise the health risks associated with climate change in the Logone plain;
- To analyse the role of the different actors (international organisations, public authorities and civil society) in the management of health risks in the context of climate variability;
- Identify and characterise the endogenous knowledge developed by communities to cope with the impact of climate change on their health;
- Propose a model that integrates collaborative and participatory approaches at the science-society interface to better develop and implement climate change mitigation and adaptation policies.
How can we capitalise on the endogenous strategies developed by communities to strengthen their health resilience to climate change?
Research area and methodology
The study takes place in the Logone Plain, an arid area characterised by a Sahelian climate with semi-arid tendencies, located south of Lake Chad. Drained by the Chari River and its main tributary, the Logone River, the study area experiences extreme events every year (flooding during floods, extreme drought, heat waves and dust storms, etc.), exposing the population to both climatic and hydrological risks. The research methodology is based on field observations, surveys and individual interviews, focus groups, participatory mapping, remote sensing and the use of geospatial data and environmental parameters.
The scientific benefits of research for humanitarian and social actors
In practice, humanitarian actors need to take into account local realities and specific contexts. The impacts of climate change are spatially variable, affecting ecosystems, regions, localities and individuals in different ways. The results of this research should therefore help to reduce the persistent gap between adaptation solutions and the needs and aspirations of local communities, which sometimes undermines the effectiveness of humanitarian responses to disasters or health risks. This model will help to effectively redirect specific humanitarian interventions and go beyond response, using endogenous knowledge to improve upstream health systems in fragile environments.
The scientific scope of this research aims to explore the complexity of the issues involved in adapting to climate change, particularly in terms of the interactions between health and the environment. Endogenous knowledge, rooted in specific local and cultural contexts, reflects a long history of interaction with the natural environment. This study is unique in that it deconstructs conventional perspectives on humanitarian issues and enriches previous research by establishing a strong link between health, climate and the environment in a resolutely interdisciplinary
Biography
Markus BAKAIRA holds a PhD in Geography from the University of Ngaoundéré (Cameroon). He is a researcher at the Geomatics Laboratory of the same university and a consultant for international organisations. His work focuses mainly on the management of natural risks and disasters and the humanitarian challenges of environmental crises and climate change in ecologically fragile areas of Cameroon and Chad. He has participated in several major research programmes, notably the PIAF (Interdisciplinary Programme on Indigenous Indicators of Fauna and Flora) of the ANR-UMR-PRODIG France, carried out in Cameroon, France, the United States and Zimbabwe. He is a member of the Société Camerounaise de Géographie.