The Sahel region faces growing climate challenges—rising temperatures, prolonged droughts, and erratic floods threaten agriculture, deepen poverty, and fuel intercommunal conflicts. The Association for Indigenous Women and Peoples of Chad (AFPAT) strengthens resilience by empowering pastoralist Indigenous communities, by combining their traditional knowledge with scientific technology, and fostering environmental sustainability and social cohesion. A key focus is women’s leadership in climate adaptation. AFPAT supports land rights, food sovereignty, and sustainable water management, promoting peaceful coexistence among pastoralists, farmers, and fisherfolk.

AFPAT's community-led initiatives ensure Indigenous Peoples, especially women, are central to climate strategies. By integrating traditional governance models with modern policies through participatory mapping, AFPAT has enhanced Indigenous participation in national climate strategies in Chad. This approach strengthens biodiversity conservation, cultural preservation, and sustainable resource sharing and management. More than 1000 communities in Chad, and 200 in Niger, Mali, Benin, Burkina Faso and Cameroun have directly benefitted from the initiative. 

In water management, AFPAT protects transhumance corridors, promotes resource-sharing, and fosters agroecology initiatives led by Indigenous women, improving food security, income generation, and sustainable water use. These efforts provide economic opportunities while preserving traditions.

Indigenous Peoples’ knowledge is a vital resource for climate adaptation. AFPAT ensures resilience-building efforts respect local governance structures and avoid maladaptation. Through continuous trust-building, respect of the right to free, prior, and informed consent, AFPAT ensures active community participation in all initiatives.

AFPAT's work has reduced conflicts over natural resources through participatory mapping, the establishment of schools, and restoration of transhumance corridors and traditional water points. This led to Chad’s first Indigenous Adaptation Plan (Indigenous-NAP), including Indigenous Peoples’ knowledge into national adaptation plan and climate policies. 

The President of AFPAT, Hindou Oumarou Ibrahim, now Goodwill Ambassador to Chad’s Presidency and SDG advocate, has elevated Indigenous voices in national climate action, ensuring long-term policy recognition of Indigenous Peoples’ knowledge in adaptation strategies.