Centre for Action-Research on Ecological and Social Transformations

CREATES

Research. Action. Transformation.

The context

The Sahel is at a turning point.

Land degradation, food insecurity, rural exodus. Top-down solutions have failed. Yet Sahelian communities hold knowledge, practices, and resilience that remain largely invisible to mainstream approaches. CREATES was born from this conviction: lasting change must emerge from the territories themselves.

65%

of Sahel land degraded

300M

people affected

70%

of population under 30

CREATES

Our response

CREATES brings together researchers, communities, and practitioners around action-research rooted in the territories. We don't design solutions for communities. We design them with them. Our approach bridges natural and social sciences, local knowledge and innovation, art and data — because the Sahel's challenges don't respect disciplinary boundaries.

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Transformation Pathways

Our work is structured around five transformation pathways, from food to governance, from energy to knowledge.

Resilient and Healthy Food Systems

Governance of Land and Natural Resources

Social and Solidarity Economy

Renewable Energy and Sustainable Infrastructures

Politics of Knowledge Production and the Arts

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News

Partnership15 Feb 2026

Sindia: a workshop to build collaboration with the Saafi inter-village Committee

CREATES organized a workshop with the Inter-village Committee for Environmental Protection of the Saafi zone to jointly define a collaboration strategy in response to the rapid transformations in the Mbour department.

Event10 Feb 2026

DyTAEL workshop in Mbour: action-research serving the territories

CREATES presented the territorial diagnostic of Mbour – Petite Côte and its online mapping platform for agroecological initiatives at the DyTAEL workshop held at the Mbour City Hall.

Partnership6 Feb 2026

NICE project launch in Senegal: workshops in Bambilor and Kaffrine

CREATES participates in the Phase 2 launch workshops of the NICE (Nutrition in City Ecosystems) project in Bambilor and Kaffrine, from February 3 to 6, 2026.

Publication6 Feb 2026

New publication: niche orchestration and agroecological transition in Senegal

A paper co-authored by Patrick Bottazzi examines how a local NGO orchestrated the DyTAES coalition to accelerate the agroecological transition in Senegal.

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