Nov 4, 2026 · 55 min
Nigerian communities turn fire management into climate adaptation
Saving Bats to Save Ourselves: How to Stop the Tragedy of the Commons with Iroro Tanshi
The episode shows how local trust, ecological knowledge, and shared rules can protect livelihoods and wildlife as climate change destabilizes traditional farming practices.
- 1Iroro Tanshi connects a rediscovered bat species to the urgent need for community-led fire management in Nigeria.
- 2Climate change is disrupting traditional burning seasons, increasing risks for farms, forests, and wildlife.
- 3Local leadership, language, and shared bylaws offer a practical path beyond individual responsibility in conservation.
Don't miss
Tanshi recounts rediscovering a supposedly lost bat species shortly before wildfire threatened the research camp and its surrounding habitat.
The brief
Iroro Tanshi’s career in Nigerian bat conservation began with a rediscovery—and quickly confronted the wildfire risks facing the species’ habitat.
Farmers use fire for practical reasons, but climate change is disrupting traditional burning seasons, making familiar practices more dangerous for farms and forests.
The response moved beyond asking individuals to behave differently: communities helped create rules and bylaws grounded in protecting livelihoods as well as bat habitat.
Trust, language, and local leadership shape whether conservation works, especially where bats may be viewed through cultural beliefs and wildlife carries mixed meanings.
As the model expands through the Tropical Fire Alliance, Tanshi argues that local action can connect to planetary change without losing community agency.
Weekly email
State of the Pod, every Monday
The week's most-discussed names and stories from podcasts, with the moments behind them. Free, five minutes, unsubscribe in one click.