News from Members

This international conference is part of a series of thirteen events planned between 2024 and 2027, taking place mainly in African countries, as well as in Shanghai, Beijing and Brussels. It is organised by the AfriquEurope network ‘The European Union and Africa in a multi-crisis world’ (Jean Monnet Political Debate: ‘EU-Africa’) and the University of the Peloponnese (Corinth, Greece), its central institution, in cooperation with the Laboratory for Studies and Research on Gender, Environment, Religion and Migration (GERM) of Gaston Berger University, an AfriquEurope partner in Saint-Louis, Senegal. 

AfriquEurope comprises partner universities, think tanks, and advocacy organisations from 34 countries, representing the diversity of Africa and Europe. AfriquEurope promotes enhanced cooperation between the two continents. It aims to foster constructive dialogue between Europe and Africa to deepen ties and develop evidence-based solutions for policymakers on both sides of the Mediterranean. 

1. Context and Rationale 

Sub-Saharan African countries, despite contributing only a small share of global greenhouse gas emissions, disproportionately suffer the consequences of climate change. These impacts manifest not only through ecosystem degradation and increased vulnerabilities (coastal erosion, sea-level rise, water stress, declining agricultural productivity, extreme events, etc.) but also through the intensification of migratory dynamics. 

According to a World Bank report, by 2050 Sub-Saharan Africa may host up to 86 million internal “climate migrants” forced to move within their own countries. 

In a context of rapid urbanisation, internal migrations - particularly from rural areas toward cities—pose major challenges for urban infrastructure, access to services (water, health, housing, employment), and social cohesion. 

Migration trajectories, however, do not follow a single pattern. They vary significantly depending on local socio-economic contexts, household resources, access to solidarity networks or economic opportunities, and territories’ adaptive capacities. 

The most vulnerable populations - those with limited financial means and reduced adaptive capacity—are often the most exposed, while having the least ability to migrate. This variability makes climate migration a complex and deeply contextual phenomenon. 

Aware of these challenges, the Laboratory for Studies and Research on Gender, Environment, Religion, and Migration (GERM) at Gaston Berger University of Saint-Louis, within the framework of the AfriquEurope project, is organizing an international conference that aims to create a space for interdisciplinary dialogue—scientific, political, and civic—on the interactions between climate change and migration in Africa. 

Choosing the city of Saint-Louis, Senegal as the venue is fully justified: the city, rich in history, is one of the most threatened in Africa by sea-level rise, coastal erosion, and saline water intrusion. These factors make it particularly vulnerable and an ideal “natural laboratory” for studying concrete links between climate change, vulnerability, mobility, and urban adaptation. 

The combination of global macro-climatic forecasts (potential climate migrants), local empirical data (coastal erosion in Saint-Louis, agricultural stress in the Sahel, etc.), and social dynamics in West Africa shows that climate change is already a central driver transforming human mobility. In this context, academic institutions like GERM and initiatives like the AfriquEurope conference play a crucial role in making invisible dynamics visible, influencing public policies, and imagining responses adapted to the climatic and social realities of the continent. 

By choosing Saint-Louis as the meeting place, the approach gains relevance: it links local observation—coastal vulnerability, land loss, relocations—to global issues, offering a dense, grounded, and mobilising reflective framework. 

2. Objectives of the Conference 

• Analyse the mechanisms linking climate change, socio-environmental vulnerability, and mobility in West Africa. 
• Examine the cooperations between the European Union and Africa, and more specifically West Africa, with regards to climate and migration issues. 
• Document internal and external migratory trajectories (rural–urban mobility, climate migration, transnational migration) based on empirical cases—particularly in Saint-Louis. 
• Evaluate existing public policies (coastal adaptation, urban planning, relocation, population protection) and identify gaps. 
• Propose inclusive and sustainable governance approaches involving public actors, civil society, researchers, and communities to anticipate and manage climate-related mobility. 
• Support the production of interdisciplinary knowledge (climate, geography, sociology, migration, gender) to strengthen local and regional resilience. 

3. Expected Outcomes 

• An updated scientific overview of climate migration in Africa is produced and disseminated. 
• Concrete policy recommendations for better integrating migration issues into climate and development policies are developed. 
• Recommendations aiming to facilitate a joint (West-)African and European approach in fighting climate change will be formulated. 
• The potential of the European Global Gateway strategy to prepare for climatic stress will be considered. 
• A strengthened network of researchers, practitioners, and decision-makers working on these themes is consolidated. 
• Young researchers and local actors enhance their capacities through active participation. 
• A synthesis and advocacy document (conference proceedings or white paper) is published and widely shared. 

4. Conference Themes 

The conference will revolve around nine (9) thematic areas: 

1. New Geographies of Climate Mobility in Africa 

• Internal, regional, cross-border and transcontinental displacements 
• Areas of departure, transit, and refuge 
• Reconfiguration of migratory routes linked to environmental crises 

2. Vulnerabilities, Inequalities, and Adaptive Capacities 

• Social, economic, and health impacts 
• Gender, youth, and territorial differences 
• Community adaptation strategies and mechanisms 

3. Urbanisation, Intermediate Cities, and Environmental Pressures 

• Cities as hubs of attraction or zones of fragility 
• Management of natural, land, and water resources 
• Land-use conflicts, local governance, and urban resilience 

4. Public Policies, Governance, and Legal Frameworks 

• African migration policies in the face of climate challenges 
• Regional, European and international frameworks 
• Cross-border cooperation and institutional innovations 

5. Economy, Labor, and New Development Perspectives 

• Green transition, economic opportunities and foreign direct investments 
• Agriculture, pastoralism, fisheries: transformations and challenges 
• Labor migration, remittances, and household resilience 

6. Representations, Narratives, and Perspectives of Local Actors 

• Community discourses and environmental memories 
• Artistic, cultural, and media approaches 
• Perceptions, aspirations, and local mobility practices 

5. Methodology and Organisation 

5.1. Dates

Friday 27 and Saturday 28 March 2026 

5.2. Venues

• Sessions at Gaston Berger University (UGB) 
• Immersion visits in Saint-Louis 

5.3 Format and Participants 

The conference will adopt a hybrid format (in-person and online) combining: 

• Plenary sessions with keynote speakers 
• Parallel thematic workshops for research presentations 
• Policy roundtables bringing together decision-makers, diplomats, and organisation representatives 
• Poster sessions for young researchers 
• Field visits to vulnerable sites or adaptation projects in Saint-Louis (Fishermen’s Quarter, National Land Development Agency, Office of Lakes and Watercourses, etc.) 

Expected participants: 50–120 in person 

Profiles: 

• Researchers and academics (social, environmental, legal sciences) 
• Representatives of international organizations (IOM, UNDP, UNFCCC, etc.) 
• Policymakers and diplomats (EU, ECOWAS, national governments) 
• NGO and civil-society representatives 
• Community leaders and diaspora representatives 
• Students and young researchers 

5.4 Committees 

• International Scientific Committee: Selection of papers, definition of the intellectual program 
• Local Organising Committee (GERM/UGB): Logistics, administration, local coordination 
• AfriquEurope Steering Committee: Strategic oversight and institutional liaison 

5.5 Submission Guidelines 

Target audience: Researchers, academics, PhD candidates, policymakers, representatives of international organisations and civil society. 

Conference languages: French and English 

Submission format: Proposals for oral presentations or posters must include: 

• A clear title 
• Names, affiliations, and contact details of the author(s) 
• A structured abstract (300–500 words) specifying: the issue and objective of the paper 
• methodological and/or theoretical framework 
• main results or arguments 
• relevance to one of the conference themes 
• 3–5 keywords 
• A short bio (max. 150 words) 

Submission address: please send your abstract (in Word) to: 

Prof. Aly Tandian: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. 

Prof. Jean-Marc Trouille: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. 

Prof. Asteris Huliaras: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. 

6. Commitments and Publication 

• An international scientific committee will evaluate submissions. 
• Selected contributions will be published in a collective volume or partner journal. 
• A final declaration summarizing key recommendations will be drafted at the end of the conference and shared with regional and international policy-makers. 

7. Provisional Timeline 

• 19 December 2025: Launch of the call for papers 
• 23 January 2026: Deadline for submissions and scientific committee review 
• 20 February 2026: Final program and opening of registration 
• 27–28 March 2026: Conference 
• 15 June 2026: Publication and dissemination of proceedings/recommendations 

Lunches and coffee breaks will be provided during the conference. There is no conference fee. External participants will be required to pay for their own travel, accommodation and, if applicable, visa costs. A hotel close to the conference venue will be recommended. 

8. Contacts 

GERM – Gaston Berger University of Saint-Louis

Tel: +221 77 440 52 68

Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.