Desert Environments of Republic of Chad - Combating Desertification in Asia, Africa and the Middle East - page 177

Box 9.1 (continued)
In an effort to control such damage the following treatments were applied:

1. Simple scarification followed by direct sowing of sorghum (the staple
crop).
2. Earthen ridging was constructed, with seeds sown on the ridges.
3. Earthen ridging was constructed, with seeds sown in the furrows.

The crop planted was a local variety of sorghum: 'Kourtofan'. The seeds
were sown in rows 60 cm apart, with one seed every 40 cm in plots that were
protected by windbreak hedges comprised of nursery-raised seedlings about
20 months old and 1 m high that were planted in rows at regular 1-m intervals
around the perimeter. Crop yields in protected fields were higher and survival
of sorghum seedlings was enhanced. It took several years for the hedges to
become fully effective. Barriers made up of hedging and trees — using species
that are resistant to or adapted to drought conditions and aridity is a potential
and feasible action for local farmers to take to protect the crop seedling from
the encroaching sand and from being scorched by hot sand particles. It is
possible to restore degraded land, even severely degraded land, by employing
inexpensive and accessible methods.

Box 9.2: Summary of Ennedi Project in Northern Chad

In the Ennedi region, of northern Chad there was a Swiss government-
supported project to protect the oases from desert encroachment. The
global objective of the program is the improvement, perpetuation and wider
resonance of local activities aimed at combating desertification, and the
development of relations and consultation between the relevant actors and
the National Office for the Struggle against Desertification, in order to
consolidate and strengthen the measures. The initial results of this support are
encouraging. They demonstrate the awareness of the local players and their
commitment to the need to combat desertification:

- More than 14,000 m of palisades woven with palms have been constructed

along the wind corridors.

- The soil contaminated by sand has been reclaimed and put to good use by

the owners. Some 150 date seedlings have been planted on the soil freed
from the sand dunes.

- The protection and regeneration of vegetation have allowed the ground

water to be recharged.