Climate Resilient East-Atlantic Flyway (CREAF)

About the project

The Climate-Resilient East Atlantic Flyway (CREAF) is a bold, transformative project working to conserve wetlands, safeguard migratory birds, and build climate resilience across one of the world’s most vital flyways for migratory waterbirds. Spanning 11 countries along the African Atlantic coastline, CREAF brings together 15 partners from Africa and Europe to improve monitoring and management, implement nature-based solutions, promote policy reform, and empower local communities, especially women and youth.

CREAF is led by the Common Wadden Sea Secretariat (CWSS) as part of the Wadden Sea Flyway Initiative and implemented by 15 expert organizations across Africa and Europe. It is supported by Germany’s International Climate Initiative (IKI).

Objectives

WETLAND MANAGEMENT – Restoring and safeguarding wetlands across the East Atlantic Flyway to protect migratory birds, enhance biodiversity, and strengthen climate resilience for the communities that depend on these vital ecosystems.

MONITORING & RESEARCH – Building robust local capacity to monitor bird populations, wetland health, and climate change impacts, generating the data and insight needed to guide effective conservation, policy, and planning.

POLICY & GOVERNANCE – Embedding wetlands and flyway conservation into national policies and regional frameworks, ensuring coordinated, science-based action to protect critical habitats across 11 countries.

EMPOWERING COMMUNITIES – Equipping women, youth, and local monitors with tools, knowledge, and opportunities to lead in conservation. CREAF supports nature-based solutions that are not only sustainable but also livelihood-driven

BirdEyes role

BirdEyes leads the Monitoring, Research and Capacity Building Work Package (WP1) within the CREAF programme. It works closely with local partners to monitor ecosystems and support locally led conservation. The programme also promotes training and knowledge exchange across the region.

BirdEyes studies how environmental change affects migratory shorebirds and indigenous communities at both local and flyway scales. It uses GPS trackers to follow key shorebird species, including Eurasian Whimbrels and Bar-tailed Godwits. The team also equips women harvesting resources on intertidal flats with GPS devices to document their movements and resource use. Researchers monitor habitat conditions, food availability, and climate variables across the study sites, while also documenting local ecological knowledge and perceptions of environmental change. By combining these data sources, BirdEyes supports conservation and management efforts across West Africa and the East Atlantic Flyway.

BirdEyes researchers Hacen El-Hacen and Mohamed Henriques lead this work in the region. Both researchers come from indigenous communities and bring valuable local knowledge to the programme. Their experience helps strengthen partnerships between the University of Groningen and West African institutions.

Project information

Study sites

Banc d'Arguin (Mauritania); Bijagós Archipelago (Guinea-Bissau)

Funders

International Climate Initiative (IKI)

Partners

Common Wadden Sea Secretariat; BirdLife South Africa; NCF; Namibia Nature Foundation; Parc National du Banc d'Arguin (MAU); PRCM; Guinee Ecologie; Wetlands International; BCR; IBAP; GREPOM; The Conservation Society (SL); BirdLife International

Contacts

BirdEyes project coordinator
Mohamed Henriques: m.f.henriques@rug.nl