Meet our students
Are you curious about our first cohort of PhD and Master students? Click on 'Read more' to learn more about the expertise and topics of interest of our young talents.
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About
AFAS is a consortium between two African and two German universities and strives for interdisciplinary and international exchange beyond academia by working on the science-policy-practice interface.
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Our mission
Nature-based solutions for climate change adaptation and biodiversity conservation: linking science, policy and practice
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Nature-based Solutions (NbS)
“Nature-based solutions” (NbS) involve working with and enhancing nature to help address societal challenges, such as climate change adaptation, food security or natural disasters, by working with ecosystems and the services they provide.
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Welcome to AFAS

Nature-based solutions for climate change adaptation and biodiversity conservation: linking science, policy and practice 

Latest News
Blog

Annual Bush Fire as a Management Tool for Humid Savannas: The Case of Lamto Scientific Reserve in Côte d’Ivoire

As part of our academic journey under the African Climate and Environment Center-Future African Savannas (AFAS) program, we embarked on a pivotal excursion to the Lamto Scientific Reserve in Côte d’Ivoire. But why Lamto? Known as a “living laboratory”, the Lamto Scientific Reserve has played a crucial role in ecological research, offering unique insights into climate dynamics and ecosystem interactions in a rapidly changing environment. This excursion was not just about observation; it was an opportunity to connect theoretical knowledge with real-world ecosystems, reinforcing our commitment to evidence-based climate action, conservation, and sustainable development across Africa’s savannas.

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Blog

Pastoralism in the Drylands: Realities and Perspectives

From 23rd of February to 1st of March 2025, I had an opportunity to attend the Drylands Summer School in Isiolo, Kenya that brought together master’s and PhD students with research interest in pastoralism in drylands. One of the objectives of the summer school was to debate on pastoral livelihoods through the lens of social, ecological and political perspectives. In the following sections, I explore key issues that arose during the summer school that are often overlooked and those which play a critical role in the dryland pastoral context.

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Blog

Transforming Arid Lands: Lessons from Yatta Farm on Climate-Smart Agriculture and Mindset Change

On 22nd November 2024, AFAS second cohort students from the University of Nairobi had an excursion to Yatta Farm, run under the umbrella of Christian Impact Mission (CIM) – a faith-based organisation – to learn about the practical aspects of nature-based solutions (NbS) and science-policy-practice interfaces (SPPIs) implemented within the agriculture sector in Kenya’s savannas…

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To our workshops & events

AFAS on Bluesky

Meet the students

Annet Margaret Nabirye
Annet Margaret Nabirye

University of Nairobi, Kenya

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Bruno Emmanuel Diarra

Université Félix Houphouët-Boigny, Côte d’Ivoire

Cynthia
Cynthia Akinyi Onyolo

University of Nairobi, Kenya

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Focus

Nature-based Solutions (NbS)

Science-Policy-Practice Interface (SPPI)

African Savannas

About us

The African Climate and Environment Center – Future African Savannas (AFAS) commenced in 2021 and is one of the DAAD Global Centres for Climate and Environment. AFAS is a consortium between two African and two German universities and strives for interdisciplinary and international exchange beyond academia by working on the science-policy-practice interface. The thematic focus of the center is nature-based solutions for climate change adaptation and biodiversity loss in African savannas.

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Photo copyright: DAAD/Stefan Zeitz

Our mission

The project initiative stems from the urgent need to develop sound and robust evidence-based and science-backed strategies to preserve and protect the fragile environments of the West and East African savannas against the combined threats of extensive and diverse land use and rapid climate change. AFAS aims to train young African scholars in the interdisciplinary field of climate change adaptation and biodiversity and to transfer scientific findings into practice, while at the same time reducing the climate and environmental footprint of education, research and international cooperation. The project specifically focuses on the potential of nature-based solutions and of cooperation on the science-policy-practice interface.

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Global Centres for Climate and Environment as well as for Health and Pandemic Prevention

Image Film by DAAD