How Climate Action Committees Are Transforming Communities in Adamawa

In communities where climate-related tensions between farmers and herders have long threatened peace and stability, a quiet transformation is beginning to take shape — and women are now finding their voices at the centre of community decision-making in Adamawa.

Through the HER-RC Project, supported by the Women’s Peace and Humanitarian Fund (WPHF) and UN Women, local communities are building stronger systems for climate-related conflict prevention by bringing together key stakeholders who were once disconnected.

At the heart of this effort is the establishment of the Community Coordination Committee (CCC), a multi-stakeholder platform comprising male community leaders, farmers’ associations, herders’ associations, security personnel, traditional leaders, Muslim council representatives, Christian council representatives and other influential actors within the community. Working alongside the Women’s Climate Action Committee (WCAC), the CCC serves as a bridge for dialogue, mediation, and collaborative action to prevent climate-induced conflicts.

For many women in these communities, participation in peacebuilding and climate governance has historically been limited by cultural and social barriers. Decisions affecting land use, security, and community stability were often made without women’s voices at the table — despite women bearing some of the heaviest burdens of displacement, food insecurity, and violence caused by conflict.

But the UN Women-supported HER-RC Project is changing that narrative.

“Today, we are seeing more willingness from community leaders to include women in decision-making processes,” one project representative shared during a community engagement session. “With the discussions we have had through the CCC, we believe more women will now be represented where important decisions are made.”

Local leaders have witnessed these changes firsthand. The Wakili of Numan, observed: "The women have been bringing reports about issues which they have settled, and some which I have taken up and have been settled as well." Meanwhile, the District Head of Mbula community,  reported that since the formation of the CCC, the WCAC have also brought reports to him about their intentions to expand into livestock, having grown a thriving climate‑smart farmland to tackle climate change and the financial hardships that come with them.

The District Head of Mbula community, described the women involved in the project as “highly resilient and committed to community development.”

“The women have shown strong interest in expanding into livestock farming, and the men in the community are fully supporting them,” he said.

He added that women’s involvement in community initiatives has continued to yield positive results. “Whenever women are actively involved, success is almost certain,” he noted.

The impact is already visible. By creating a space where women leaders can engage directly with traditional institutions, security actors, and community stakeholders, the project is fostering trust, inclusion, and collective responsibility for peace.

The role of UN Women has been instrumental in making this possible. Through its support, women are not only being empowered to participate in climate action and peacebuilding efforts, but are also being recognized as critical agents of change within their communities. UN Women’s commitment to inclusive governance and women-led peace initiatives is helping shift deeply rooted perceptions about women’s leadership and capacity.

By supporting grassroots structures like the CCC and WCAC, UN Women and WPHF are ensuring that solutions to climate-related conflicts are community-driven, inclusive, and sustainable.

For women in these communities, the project represents more than participation — it represents visibility, dignity, and hope. Hope that future generations of women will no longer stand at the margins of decision-making, but will instead help shape the peace and resilience of their communities.

Ultimately, the desired outcome is to see the Community Coordination Committees (CCC) working closely and collaboratively with the Women’s Climate Action Committees (WCACs), ensuring that women are actively included in climate-related conflict prevention, mediation, and community decision-making processes. The establishment of the CCCs was intentionally designed to strengthen collaboration with the WCACs by creating a supportive structure where women’s voices, experiences, and solutions are recognized and integrated into community peacebuilding efforts. As part of the next phase of the project, the WCACs will develop joint action plans to address climate-related challenges and promote social cohesion, to be implemented across the two LGAs with the active support and coordination of the CCCs.