A Roof, A Skill, A Market

In the Sahel region of Africa, traditional timber roofs became unsustainable due to deforestation. Expensive and unsuitable materials like sheet metal and concrete replaced them, leading to hot, uncomfortable homes and higher costs.
The Nubian Vault Association (NVA) promotes an old building method using sun-dried mud bricks to make self-supporting vaulted roofs. These roofs are cooler, cheaper, and made from local materials. The approach is part of their programme “A Roof, a Skill, a Market,” which aims to provide better housing, train local builders, and create a sustainable market.
Starting in Burkina Faso, the project has expanded to Mali, Senegal, Benin, and Ghana. Over 2,000 buildings have been constructed, 440 masons and 400 apprentices trained, and 65,000 tons of CO₂ emissions avoided.
The programme focuses on poor, rural communities. It creates jobs, especially for young people and seasonal farmers, and offers training and business opportunities. Women often play key roles in spreading the idea locally.
Homes cost about €450, much cheaper than concrete alternatives. The NVA works with communities, trains local leaders, and encourages partnerships with civil society and governments. Their strategy includes building demonstration offices, training masons, promoting the concept, and helping clients and masons work together.
NVA’s work supports national climate goals in Burkina Faso, Senegal, and Mali, and has influenced policy discussions in Benin and Ghana. The goal is to build 300,000 homes and train 60,000 masons by 2030.
Since 2017 we have offset our unavoidable carbon emissions with NVNs unaccredited carbon emissions the ACACIAS Project. The project aims to accelerate the development of this market by facilitating access to NV bioclimatic housing for Sahelian families living on less than 2$ a day, thus improving their living conditions. From 2022, we offset our carbon emissions of 34 tonnes with AVN and also with an accredited Gold Standard scheme, Kenya Biogas Programme
This ensures we are supporting a housing-based organisation and also offsetting our emissions. INSERT LINK to Climate Action at World Habitat page – https://world-habitat.org/about-world-habitat/what-we-do/cutting-carbon/climate-action-at-world-habitat/