Chad, a country located in Central Africa that is landlocked by borders with Libya, Sudan, the Central African Republic, Nigeria, and Niger, is rated as the most climate-vulnerable country in the world, according to the Notre Dame Global Adaptation Initiative. But why is Chad in such peril when the country has one of the largest lakes in Africa located within its borders as well as a perfectly fertile southern region? And, what can the rest of the world learn from Chad’s situation?

The Impact of Climate Change on Chad

Employment Demographics

Chad’s employment demographic is incredibly homogenous, with over 80% of its 17 million inhabitants working within the agricultural sector. As a result, changes in the agricultural sector, which is highly susceptible to the effects of climate change, directly impact the majority of Chad’s inhabitants. This, in turn, affects Chad’s overall economy and food supply. Due to a lack of climate risk management, it is very difficult to be highly productive within Chad’s agricultural sector as it is difficult to acquire agricultural inputs.

The Agricultural Sector

Chad’s agricultural sector is easily its most important area of production and the economy, but it is particularly vulnerable to the impact of climate shifts. While there is an increasing risk of droughts, wildfires, and land decay globally due to climate change, these issues directly affect Chad. Chad does not have developed water transport or storage systems; 95% of their agricultural practices are reliant on rainfall for irrigation. As a result, agricultural infrastructure is destroyed by dry-spells caused by climate change.

Water Source

In addition, much of Chad’s water reservoirs are shrinking due to climate change. For example, Lake Chad, the fourth largest lake in Africa, has shrunk by around 90% since the 1960’s. Consequently, water is becoming more and more scarce, and the problem is only further exacerbated by the rising temperatures caused by global warming.

Civil Unrest

Lake Chad’s shrinkage has resulted in the displacement of 3 million people, with 11 million more in need of assistance. As a result, fighting over the area and its scarce resources has occurred, involving several militant and terrorist organizations. Violence between different industries, such as fishing and farming, is also prominent.

What Can Chad Teach Other Countries About Climate Vulnerability?

Chad’s climate vulnerability provides a number of vital lessons when it comes to the threat of climate change and the importance of planning for climate resilience and sustainability. 

For starters, access to water is vital for the social and economic stability of a nation. That means well-developed water infrastructure is necessary to curb large-scale instability resulting from global warming. According to the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), Chad has “sufficient water resources to irrigate over 5 million hectares of land, weather droughts, and increase agricultural production substantially” with appropriate infrastructure and support. 

Still, USAID explains that Chad faces a number of significant and complex problems because the country “legal framework and institutions governing Chad’s land and other natural resources are inadequate to manage Chad’s serious challenges.” Open access land-use practices and lax environmental enforcement have resulted in overgrazing, deforestation, “inappropriate farming practices,” and the overuse of natural resources.

Perhaps one of the biggest lessons learned from Chad is that a strong enforcement mechanism for environmental and land use laws is also critical to sustainability and, ultimately, climate resilience.