Senegal is particularly vulnerable to climate change, which threatens the main components of its rural economy. Under the LDCF project, four sites have been chosen because of their vulnerability towards climate change and the presence of Community Natural Reserves (CNRs) considered as key tools for the adaptation strategy at the local level: the Saloum Delta, the Senegal River Delta, the Ferlo and Niokolo-Koba. CNRs were created in 2002 as part of the Programme of Integrated Management of Ecosystems (PGIES) and are forest areas (covering one or more communes) that are co-managed by the communes and a group of villages that ensure the participatory and sustainable use of natural resources.LDCF project intends to build upon the existing CNR/PU to strengthen the adaptation capacity while overcoming the identified barriers:-Limited capacities of local stakeholders (communes, financial institutions, civil societies and private companies) to mobilize and manage finance dedicated to climate adaptation;-Limited capacity of communities (in particular women) to develop opportunities and generate income from their productive and climate resilient activities.Therefore, the project is based upon two axes:-Establishing innovative finance mechanisms that bring regular additional incomes at local level dedicated to finance climate change adaptation actions;-Bringing investments and increasing capacities of communities (in particular women and young people) in order to provide them with more long-term solutions to adapt climate change and variability.The expected outcomes of this project are as follow: -At national and commune level, building the overall capacity of the Ministry of Environment, ANACIM and ARD to develop innovative financial mechanisms for adaptation measures implementation and to experiment adaptation actions in the sectors of agriculture, water resources and forestry (at minimum 40 national-level representatives and 60 commune-level representatives).-Targeted adaptation benefits to 224 villages in the four project sites, resulting in direct benefits for at least 50,000 people which account for 5,000 households (i) introducing multiple measures to reduce vulnerability to climate change, including measures to increase resilience with both investments and capacities building for communities, (ii) developing partnerships with other on-going projects in the same sites and implementing awareness-raising activities on climate information and good practices to adapt to climate change to at least 100,000 people. These activities will also include study trips of mayors and farmers to increase the knowledge of municipal and village officials on the mobilization and management of climate finance and the introduction of climate change adapted practices.-The vulnerability of project beneficiaries to climate change will be reduced through several measures including (i) introduction and dissemination of agricultural practices (adapted seeds, soil and water management etc.) (ii) enhancement of climate resilient value chains (Arabic gum, cashew, salt, etc.) (iii) increased credit access for farmers (iv) development of ponds and access to water for income generating activities. The project will stimulate a real dynamic in the creation of microbusinesses (specially managed by women) by training them on business and rural finance. Diversification of livelihood activities will improve safety nets for vulnerable households.-The communes' capacity to attract additional funding, to develop and implement site-specific adaptation interventions will be strengthened.