Desert Environments of Republic of Chad - Combating Desertification in Asia, Africa and the Middle East - page 160

Chapter 9
Desert Environments of Republic of Chad

Hakim Djibril

Synopsis This chapter presents an overview of the current status of desertification
in Chad and outlines the measures being taken to arrest and reverse land degrada-
tion, revegetate bare land and raise household incomes. The outcomes of several
successful projects are summarized.

Key Points

• Like most states of the African Sahel, Chad has suffered from the encroachment

of the desert. Traditional herding practices and the need for firewood and wood
for construction have exacerbated the problem. Lake Chad was one of the largest
fresh bodies of water on the African continent and its disappearance will have a
tremendous impact on the population surrounding it. The problem of Lake Chad
is increasingly complex because of the international nature of the desertification.
Lake Chad is a regional problem East African and North African member states
of the African Union and UN must deal with it. A collaborative approach to
combating the desertification of Lake Chad is needed to reverse the current
trends.

• Land and terrestrial resources in Africa have unparalleled economic, social and

environmental value. Traditionally, African societies are agrarian or pastoral,
depending directly on subsistence farming to meet their daily needs. Commercial
agriculture holds an equally important position, employing the largest share
of the workforce in most countries, and contributing significantly to national
economic growth, export earnings and foreign exchange. However, national
and household dependency on agricultural output has been a significant factor
in limited economic growth over the past three decades. Climatic instability