AFAS opens Phase 2 with a call to turn nature-based solutions into shared, lasting benefits
The African Climate and Environment Centre – Future African Savannas (AFAS) on Wednesday, 28th October 2026, kicked off its second phase at a one-day stakeholder workshop in Nairobi. Held under the theme "Anchoring and Growing Capacity of Nature-based Solutions (NbS) Ecosystems in the Region and Beyond", the workshop brought together students, alumni, researchers, policy-makers, NGOs, private-sector actors, and Indigenous and local knowledge holders.
The workshop was organised by the Institute for Climate Change and Adaptation (ICCA), University of Nairobi, with the Center for Development Research (ZEF), University of Bonn; the Global South Studies Center (GSSC), University of Cologne; and the African Center of Excellence on Climate Change, Biodiversity and Sustainable Agriculture at Université Félix Houphouët-Boigny (UFHB), Côte d'Ivoire..
Prof. Sheila Okoth, Associate Dean, Faculty of Science and Technology, represented the University of Nairobi's leadership at the opening. She delivered the remarks of the Dean, Prof. Francis Nyongesa, the Ag. Deputy Vice Chancellor, Human Resource and Administration, Prof. Leonidah Kerubo, and the Deputy Vice Chancellor, Research, Innovation and Enterprise, Prof. Margaret J. Hutchinson.
Speaking on behalf of the Dean, Prof. Okoth said the theme poses a task that is both scientific and practical: turning the promise of nature-based solutions into tangible benefits for communities and ecosystems. Restoring a forest, protecting a watershed or managing rangelands does not automatically guarantee success, she noted, and every intervention must be asked whether it genuinely works, whether its ecological and social benefits endure, and whether they are shared equitably. "An intervention that improves an ecosystem while restricting community access to essential resources is not a true solution," she said, adding that transparent trade-offs, equitable benefit-sharing and the participation of Indigenous Peoples and local knowledge holders must be embedded from day one. She also called for financing that fits local contexts, drawing on public funds, private capital and development finance, while recognising that ecological returns do not always bring immediate profit.
On behalf of the Ag. DVC, Human Resource and Administration, Prof. Okoth said growing capacity for nature-based solutions requires technical expertise, skilled people, supportive institutions and effective administration. Universities, she said, must invest in students, support early-career researchers and promote mentorship, and the question to answer is how to sustain the human capacity being built today beyond individual projects and funding cycles.
Delivering the remarks of the DVC, Research, Innovation and Enterprise, Prof. Okoth recalled that AFAS was established in May 2021 as one of four Global Climate and Environment Centres of the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD), funded by the German Federal Foreign Office. Phase 1 (2021–2025), funded with €2.9 million, trained more than 40 master's students, five PhD students and four postdoctoral fellows in Nairobi and Abidjan, and a new cohort began this year. Phase 2 runs to 2030 with €3.0 million, and AFAS fellows come from more than 15 countries across West, Central, Southern and Eastern Africa. On behalf of the DVC, she then declared the Phase 2 opening workshop officially open.
The workshop examined how AFAS research can inform the implementation of nature-based solutions and strengthen cooperation among researchers, policymakers, communities and development partners. Principal Investigators Prof. Daniel Olago and Prof. Christian Borgemeister presented the Phase 2 research agenda, developed through stakeholder consultations during Phase 1. A case study on women-led rangeland restoration in Samburu County highlighted community-driven approaches to restoring degraded landscapes and supporting pastoral livelihoods. Contributions from invited organisations further explored opportunities for collaboration with AFAS, while a keynote by the German development agency GIZ examined financing and investment opportunities for nature-based solutions.
Participants also examined the competing interests and practical decisions that shape the implementation of nature-based solutions through an interactive role-play based on a real-world scenario. Working from different stakeholder perspectives, they negotiated benefit-sharing arrangements and trade-offs across agriculture, biodiversity, water, energy and One Health. The discussions provided an opportunity to consider how research and stakeholder collaboration can inform decisions on the ground. Key reflections from an AFAS student, a stakeholder representative, a community leader and the AFAS Centre Lead helped identify lessons and possible next steps.
As it enters Phase 2, AFAS will continue to work toward evidence-based strategies that protect West and East African savannas from land use pressure and climate change, train young African scholars in interdisciplinary climate adaptation and biodiversity research, and move findings from science into policy and practice.
