Fadoul Saleh, an elderly Chadian herder, is facing his worst year. Drought and floods have wiped out his livestock. How will he and thousands of others survive as the Sahel is hammered by climate change?
In Chad, many nomadic herders are settling down, discouraged by global warming, lack of access to pasture and community conflictsImage: AURELIE BAZZARA-KIBANGULA / AFP
Advertisement
Throughout his life, Fadoul Saleh has followed the tradition of nomadic shepherds, moving with the seasons to find pastures for his livestock.
In January, the 73-year-old had over 100 cows. But today, his life has been upended by extreme weather events in Chad.
"Just this year, the drought caused me to lose 70 head of cattle," he said, sitting in the shade of a bush on the outskirts of the country's capital, N'Djamena, his face is marked by exhaustion.
The first rains of the season — which should have brought some hope and relief to the herders — turned into a nightmare. Devastating floods swept away his last 35 cows, which represented all he owned.
Deadly flooding has been brought on by torrential rains and rising water in the river Chari, which cuts through Chad's capital, N'DjamenaImage: Denis Sassou Gueipeur / AFP
Since July, the floods have killed at least 576 people and affected more than 1.9 million, according to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs — more than 10% of Chad's population.
"It's total devastation," murmured Saleh. "It was early in the morning, still dark. The floods took away the rest of my animals, and even in my family, we lost loved ones. The waters took everything, from trucks to trees."
Climate extremes threaten herders' livelihoods
The father of five now has no means to survive. He lives on the outskirts of N'Djamena, earning a living by helping others who come to sell their animals.
Saleh recalled that periods of intense heat were often followed by torrential rains. But this year has been exceptional, he said.
Between February and April, temperatures that exceeded 45 degrees Celsius (113 Fahrenheit) decimated already scarce natural resources.
What are the key lessons from East Africa's floods?
01:57
This browser does not support the video element.
Saleh told DW that he is not the only herder struggling to survive in an environment where water and pastures are becoming increasingly scarce.
"Our pastoral areas are vast, but they are degraded, and there's a severe lack of water. We are forced to move constantly," he explained.
The pressure on resources is intensifying, with Chad's livestock population growing significantly — from 18 million heads to 140 million over the last three decades — leading to fierce competition for grazing land.
"For herders who depend directly on their livestock for survival, if the livestock is swept away, it's a disaster and cuts off their livelihood. It's a tragedy, that's clear," said Luca Ferrini, who oversees the pastoral program for the German development agency GIZ, a state-owned nonprofit agency.
Advertisement
Conflicts with farmers, new herders
The heat, drought and now the floods are exacerbating conflicts between farmers and herders. Herds, in search of pasture, often venture onto cultivated lands, triggering sometimes violent tensions with farmers.
"We are constantly in conflict with them," said Saleh. "There's too much pressure, too much livestock for limited resources."
Saleh has always been a resilient man, continuing an ancestral way of life. But today, he is forced to admit that herders like him are caught in a vicious cycle.
"With climate change, everything is becoming more difficult," he said, adding that the arrival of wealthy herders who monopolize land and water resources threatens their way of life, and that small herders like him "have to survive with meager means."
Faced with an increasingly hostile environment, Saleh, like many other herders, finds himself on the edge of a precipice. It's not just the climate that's changing, but also their way of life.
For many, the seasonal movement of livestock is no longer viable. Roads are dangerous due to the presence of armed groups, and pastures are becoming harder to reach.
"We have to deal with all this alone — without any support from our authorities," said Saleh.
Saleh's situation is shared by thousands of Chadian herders, confronted with the harsh realities of climate change and a glaring lack of support.
They are doing their best to adapt, but they don't know how much longer they can hold on.
Chad: A country with unknown wealth
Chad remains one of the poorest countries in the world — despite huge oil deposits. But the commodities boom also hides the view of its almost unknown wealth. A journey of discovery in pictures.
Image: Albrecht Harder
Chadians impoverished amid oil wealth
Chad, a country in central Africa, is often equated with violence and instability. It remains one of the poorest countries in the world — despite huge oil deposits. But the commodities boom also hides the view of its almost unknown wealth. A journey of discovery in pictures.
Image: Albrecht Harder
Time Zone in the Ennedi Plateau
Time seems to stand still on the Ennedi Plateau, a sandstone desert in the northeast of the country. Here, people and animals live their lives in harmony with the natural rhythms of days and years. There’s no rush, no counting of minutes. Time does pass but at a different speed.
Image: Albrecht Harder
Survivors
Kalait is the last trading post before the great desert to the north. Only sand and dust are seen here. A scorching sun, aridity and temperatures above 50° are not uncommon around here. Living in this environment is unimaginable. Nevertheless, there are living creatures who defy the harsh conditions of the desert.
Image: Albrecht Harder
Source of Life
Guelta d'Archei is probably the Sahara’s most famous watering hole. It lies in the middle of the rocky Ennedi Plateau. To reach this place one needs a camel or jeep. This natural source of water is the basis of life for plants, animals and humans. The Guelta d'Archei bears witness to the past, to a time when the area was once greener and home to the Nile crocodiles. Today only a handful remain.
Image: Albrecht Harder
Migrating herds
Millions of animals such as cattle, camels, goats and sheep make up a large part of the country's inhabitants. For many Chadians, cattle means wealth and a safe investment which can be sold whenever necessary. The animals can be seen at water points, wells, roads and markets.
Image: Albrecht Harder
Fertile fields
Rice is one of the major grains grown in the fertile plains of the river Logone in southern Chad. Logone is the second largest river in the country. Every year it provides the Chadian population with arable land, ensuring the nutrition of whole towns and villages. Every year, 150,000 tones of rice are sown and harvested by hand from this area alone.
Image: Albrecht Harder
White Gold
Chad is dependent on oil. But the most important export commodity is cotton. The state enterprise 'Coton Tchad' buys handpicked balls, cleans them and then exports the cotton. Many villages in the south of the country have brought some prosperity and independence to their households through the cultivation of cotton that is practiced on a monoculture basis.
Image: Albrecht Harder
Connected to home
Gaoui is a village located ten kilometers northeast of the capital N'Djamena. Human beings and nature seem to be one here. Traditions and shared ethnic and linguistic roots hold the villages together — so strongly that even former residents help make their village a better place for future generations.
Image: Albrecht Harder
Handwork
Under the scorching sun, farmers work near the eastern city of Biltine. Most own one or two acres of fields. From sowing and harvesting, to drying and threshing - everything is done by hand. Some produce, such as peanuts, is cultivated by women. At the end of the rainy season everybody joins in to harvest the crops.
Image: Albrecht Harder
Market day
Almost everything is traded in Abeche: millet, maize, rice, cassava, beans, bananas, papayas - depending on the season. The town, which borders Sudan, is traditionally one of the most important commercial hubs of the Sahel. Traders come here to sell their cattle, spices, oil, milk and baskets. Sometimes there are also modern imported goods. At the end of market day it's time to celebrate.
Image: Albrecht Harder
Wisdom
The average life expectancy of the Chadian population is 48 years. The older the person, the greater the respect from the community. Traditionally they act as judges and pass on their valuable experience, their stories and values. Their faces convey dignity and wisdom.
Image: Albrecht Harder
Future generations
The average age of the population is 16.3 years. Most Chadians regard children as their greatest wealth. They exist only in the plural, there are no individual children. At Gagal in the southeast of Chad, they form the majority of the population. Chad’s young people represent tremendous potential for new ideas and the future. Author: Albrecht Harder/im - Editor: Susan Houlton
Image: Albrecht Harder
12 images1 | 12
Edited by: Keith Walker
Correction, October 23, 2024: An earlier version of this article misspelled the name of Luca Ferrini. DW apologizes for the error.
