SCALE – Strengthening Chad’s Adaptation for Land, Ecosystems and smallholders

Chad is ranked the most climate-vulnerable country in the world by the ND-GAIN country index, facing extreme drought, desertification, flash flooding, and increasingly erratic rainfall. These hazards pose a severe threat to agriculture and livestock, which support 88 per cent of Chadian households. Without adaptation measures, crop yields are projected to fall by 10 to25 per cent, deepening food insecurity and poverty across the country.

The project aims to support farming and agro-pastoral communities in transitioning to climate-adapted production systems and diversifying livelihoods to build resilience against climate shocks. It targets communities across four provinces: Moyen Chari, Salamat, Ouaddai, and Sila, aligning directly with Chad's 2021 Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) and National Adaptation Plan (NAP).

The project is structured around three components: strengthening governmental institutional capacity and knowledge management; implementing ecosystem-based adaptation for agricultural and pastoral systems; and diversifying livelihoods to reduce climate vulnerability. Key activities include establishing Farmer Field Schools and Agro-pastoral Field Schools, restoring over 101,000 hectares of land, rehabilitating 258 small-scale water infrastructures, and supporting 3,030 households with resilient livelihood packages.

The project is expected to support approximately 261,715 people in adopting climate-resilient agricultural practices, with targeted gender mainstreaming ensuring at least 50 per cent female participation. The SCALE project builds on two successful EU-funded predecessor initiatives and represents Chad's first single-country project in the GCF portfolio.