man standing on pirogue fishing in lake chad

Biosphere and Heritage of Lake Chad (BIOPALT)

The Biosphere and Heritage of Lake Chad (BIOPALT) project aims to promote peace, safeguard and enhance natural and cultural resources and improve local communities' capacities of resilience in the Lake Chad basin’s five riparian countries: Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Niger, and Nigeria. The project is a collaboration between UNESCO and the Lake Chad Basin Commission (LCBC).

Main Results

Updated knowledge

of hydrology, biodiversity and cultural heritage

2000+
persons trained

in the sustainable management of resources

30,000
beneficiairies

of green income-generating activities

Monitoring tools

for water quality, droughts and floods in the Lake Chad basin

Using a multi-pronged approach, UNESCO aimed to apply the principles governing biosphere reserves and World Heritage sites in order to develop inclusive, equitable and collaborative resource governance in the Lake Chad basin. This entailed developing and updating knowledge of the cultural and natural resources in the basin, and training communities in their management. 

Women decorating wall in Cameroon

Partners