Chad: solar energy brings water to people and herds

Biney Moussa rides his horse leading his cattle to the pastoral pond in Adoumosso. Nearby, little Fatimé and other children watch their mothers who are lifting water onto a donkey. Solar panels are pumping water into the pond, this is what makes it possible for local farmers to have access to clean water for their livestock and households. The panels are neatly fenced off near the pond, a solar technology that brings water to the Salamat region, allowing farmers to substantially shorten the long way to provide water for their cattle.

© GCCA+/EU 2020. Photo taken by Denis Sassous

The lack of drinking water storage facilities has become more severe due to climate change and has forced people to travel for kilometers before being able to benefit from this vital resource. As a response, the Global Climate Change Alliance Plus (GCCA+), an initiative funded by the European Union (EU), has enabled the installation of solar panels for clean energy development and established veterinary pharmacies, trained veterinary doctors, providing medicine for livestock adaptation.

© GCCA+/EU 2020. Photo taken by Denis Sassous

In the area of ​​Salamat, described by the World Bank as one of the poorest regions of the world, livestock is the base of the economy. Salamat is one of the 23 regions of Chad, located in the southwest of the country and bordering the Central African Republic. The management of livestock is met with difficulties such as the lack of reliable water sources, the disruption of inter-community conflicts on certain routes, and the lack of pharmaceutical products for the treatment of animal health.

Sakine Issa, the pharmacist of Khach-Kacha, checks the shelf of medicines in the pharmacy, before joining the members of the management committee of the Djoula veterinary pharmacy. Through the project "Adaptation to the Effects of Climate Change and Development of Renewable Energies” in Chad, farmers in the region have been able to make use of the clean water, clean energy, and veterinary services for their livestock and households in their daily lives.

The Republic of Chad is faced with extreme climate events that take the form of increasingly severe droughts or increasingly devastating floods, depending on the season and the bioclimatic zone. Climate change impacts are felt in multiple areas such as agriculture, livestock breeding, fisheries, health, housing and more.

Solar panel systems providing water based on a motor pump can make a difference. The next watering hole is the pastoral pond in Areba, a herder prepares drinking water for his camels, while members of the Pond management committee hold their meeting under the shade of a tree.

© GCCA+/EU 2020. Photo taken by Denis Sassous