CALOR RESEARCH GROUP

Biodiversity, Ecology and Conservation of Coastal and Marine Ecosystems

Group Leader

Farikou Oumarou

Dr. Farikou Oumarou earned his PhD in Molecular Parasitology from the University of Yaoundé I, Cameroon, in 2011. During his doctoral studies, he was awarded a three-year scholarship by the French Government through the DSF/IRD program. His research, conducted jointly between the University of Yaoundé I and UMR 177 (INTERTRYP) IRD/CIRAD in Montpellier, France, investigated the tripartite interactions among tsetse flies, their symbiotic bacteria, and trypanosomes in two historic foci of Human African Trypanosomiasis in Cameroon.

Dr. Oumarou is currently a Senior Lecturer at the Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Bamenda, Cameroon. He has also been appointed Head of the Division of Academic Affairs, Education and Research at the Faculty of Education, University of Garoua. Prior to joining academia, he served for eight years as Head of a Regional Division within the Special Mission for Tsetse Fly Eradication, where he gained extensive experience in vector control and public health interventions.

His research focuses on the One Health approach to infectious disease control, integrating environmental determinants such as climate change and land-use dynamics. He is particularly interested in the development of innovative diagnostic tools, drug discovery and development, and alternative intervention strategies to accelerate the elimination of neglected tropical diseases.

In addition to his academic responsibilities, Dr. Oumarou serves as an Expert for the Special Mission for Tsetse Fly Eradication under the Ministry of Livestock, Fisheries and Animal Industries. He is a member of the GDRI-SUD and COMBAT research projects and previously served as an advisor to the TVCAG group on Neglected Tropical Diseases. He also serves as a reviewer for several international peer-reviewed journals, including Acta Tropica, Veterinary Parasitology: Regional Studies and Reports, Journal of Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, Parasite Epidemiology and Control, and several MDPI journals.

About

Background

Climate change and global warming are among the defining challenges of the twenty-first century, affecting every dimension of human well-being, environmental sustainability, and socioeconomic development. Rising global temperatures, changing precipitation patterns, extreme weather events, biodiversity loss, land degradation, and ecosystem disruption are transforming natural and human systems at unprecedented rates. These changes have far-reaching consequences for food and water security, infectious and non-communicable diseases, ecosystem services, livelihoods, migration, and the resilience of vulnerable communities. The complexity of these interactions requires an interdisciplinary approach that bridges climate science, environmental health, ecology, epidemiology, public health, geospatial sciences, artificial intelligence, socioeconomics, and policy research.

Recognizing that climate change is not only an environmental issue but also a major public health and development challenge, the Climate Change and Global Warming (CALOR) Research Group promotes integrated research grounded in the One Health and Planetary Health frameworks. By examining the dynamic interactions among climate, ecosystems, animals, and human populations, the Group seeks to generate a comprehensive understanding of the drivers, impacts, and solutions to climate-related challenges, particularly in Africa and other climate-vulnerable regions.

Research Goals

The overarching goal of the CALOR Research Group is to advance interdisciplinary research that generates innovative, evidence-based solutions to the challenges posed by climate change and global warming. CALOR Research Group investigates how environmental and climatic changes influence ecosystems, biodiversity, human and animal health, agriculture, water resources, and the emergence and spread of infectious diseases, while also exploring adaptation, mitigation, and resilience strategies that support sustainable development. Through the integration of climate data, Earth observation technologies, environmental monitoring, epidemiology, modelling, genomics, geospatial analysis, artificial intelligence, and community-based research, CALOR Research Group aims to improve climate risk assessment, strengthen early warning systems, support informed decision-making, and guide effective public policies. Beyond scientific discovery, the Group is committed to translating research into practical solutions through capacity building, innovation, stakeholder engagement, and partnerships with governments, international organizations, academia, and local communities. By fostering excellence in research and knowledge exchange, CALOR Research Group aspires to become a regional and international centre of excellence contributing to climate resilience, environmental sustainability, and healthier, more resilient societies in an era of global environmental change.

Our research

CALOR Research Group conducts interdisciplinary research to better understand the causes, impacts, and solutions to climate change and global warming. Our work integrates climate science, environmental and ecosystem sciences, public health, epidemiology, geospatial technologies, artificial intelligence, mathematical modelling, genomics, and policy research to generate evidence that informs climate adaptation, mitigation, and sustainable development. Our research activities are organized into four complementary Research Axes that collectively address the complex interactions between climate, ecosystems, human and animal health, and society.

Research Axis #1 - Climate dynamics, ecosystems, and environmental change

This Research Axis investigates how climate variability and long-term climate change alter natural and human-modified ecosystems, with particular emphasis on environmental drivers that influence biodiversity, ecosystem services, agriculture, water resources, and disease ecology. By integrating climatology, ecology, remote sensing, and environmental monitoring, this axis seeks to improve understanding of how changing environmental conditions reshape ecological processes and increase vulnerability to climate-related risks.

Key research themes include : i) climate variability, extreme weather events, and ecosystem resilience; ii) land-use and land-cover change, deforestation, and biodiversity conservation; iii) climate impacts on agriculture, food security, and water resources; iv) environmental determinants of emerging and re-emerging diseases; v) earth observation, remote sensing, and environmental monitoring.

Research Axis #2 - Climate change, human health, and disease dynamics

This Research Axis explores the multiple pathways through which climate change influences human and animal health, with a particular focus on infectious diseases, vector-borne diseases, environmental health, and One Health interactions. Research seeks to understand how climatic, ecological, biological, and socioeconomic factors jointly determine disease emergence, transmission, and health outcomes in vulnerable populations.

Key research themes include : i) Climate-sensitive infectious and vector-borne diseases; ii) Environmental drivers of pathogen emergence and transmission; iii) Vector ecology, pathogen development, and host–pathogen interactions; iv) One Health and Planetary Health approaches; v) Antimicrobial resistance and climate-related environmental pressures; vi) Climate change, nutrition, air quality, and environmental health.

Research Axis #3 - Climate intelligence and predictive modelling

This Research Axis develops innovative analytical tools that transform climate, environmental, epidemiological, and socio-economic data into actionable knowledge. Using artificial intelligence, geospatial technologies, remote sensing, mathematical modelling, and big-data analytics, CALOR Research Group aims to improve climate risk assessment, disease forecasting, environmental surveillance, and evidence-based decision-making.

Key research themes include: i) climate change, nutrition, air quality, and environmental health; ii) artificial intelligence and machine learning for climate risk prediction; iii) epidemiological and environmental modelling; iv) Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and spatial epidemiology; v) remote sensing and earth observation applications; vi) climate services, early warning systems, and decision-support tools.

Research Axis #4 - Climate adaptation, resilience, and sustainable policy

This Research Axis translates scientific evidence into practical solutions that strengthen climate resilience and promote sustainable development. It evaluates adaptation and mitigation strategies, supports climate-informed public policies, and develops innovative interventions that enhance the resilience of communities, ecosystems, and health systems. This Research Axis also emphasizes stakeholder engagement, capacity building, and knowledge translation to ensure that research findings contribute directly to societal impact.

Key research themes include : i) climate adaptation and resilience strategies; ii) climate-resilient health systems and integrated disease surveillance; iii) sustainable environmental management and ecosystem restoration; iv) climate policy, governance, and environmental justice; v) community-based adaptation and indigenous knowledge and vi) capacity building, science communication, and policy translation.