Could a map solve a country’s climate challenges?

Hindou Oumarou Ibrahim was raised in the Mbororo community, a semi-nomadic Indigenous tribe. For centuries, the Mbororo, who inhabit the savanna grasslands around West and Central Africa's Lake Chad, have lived in harmony with nature, moving their flocks and herds with the seasons to prevent overgrazing of pastures, and farming to the rhythm of reliable weather patterns.

Today, climate change is disrupting that harmony.

Working with tribes across the region, Ibrahim has gathered generations-worth of Indigenous knowledge about the local environment and transferred this knowledge onto 2D and 3D maps. These maps have not only created an uncommonly accurate picture of the area’s remaining natural resources, but helped communities figure out how to share their resources better, adapt to the changing climate, and find ways to restore the ecosystem.

This video, produced in partnership with Rolex, gives an in-depth look into how this essential work comes to life.