Program for decentralized rural development in the Mayo-Kebbi and Ouaddaï/Biltine regions

Agriculture provides a livelihood for 80 percent of Chad's population, independent of onsetting oil production activities. The main problem for crop and livestock farmers is low productivity. Inpredictable precipitation particularly affects production in the north. While southern farmers benefit from more favourable climatic conditions, severe population pressure and intensive farming practices are leading to a degradation of natural resources. Another problem concerns the insufficient public service infrastructure which, along with several other deficits, is pushing more than 50 percent of the rural population under the poverty line.

In 1999 the Chadian government formulated a national rural development policy that aims to reduce poverty, maintain food security and achieve sustainable increases in production while preserving both biodiversity and the productivity of land.

In accordance with this aim, the German and Chadian Governments placed poverty reduction in rural regions at the heart of the priority strategy they agreed in 2002, entitled "Rural development in the Mayo-Kebbi and Ouaddaï/Biltine regions". It is implemented at national level and through the Technical Cooperation and Financial Cooperation, as well as the German Development Service in the two priority regions.

In detail, support measures include:

• advice on drawing up and implementing local development plans by providing a socio-economic infrastructure, co-financed by a decentralised development fund (Financial Cooperation)
• development of operating models for all types of infrastructure to be promoted, and provision of appropriate training to operators/users
• sustainable management of natural resources through diversification, soil and water conservation measures, development of local user agreements and training for self-help organisations in implementing and monitoring these measures
• development and testing of measures to preserve biodiversity and valorise a nature reserve by and for the resident population (hunting and eco-tourism)
• information and training for all actors working in the local self-administration structures that are foreseen by Chadian decentralisation policy.

The success of German-Chadian cooperation is already reflected by the fact that contents and procedures from previous projects that were taken up and developed further in the programme approach are being used by other donor organisations to develop their own projects.

Downloads

• PRODABO. Programme de développement rural décentralisé d’Assoungha, Biltine, et Ouara
  12 pages
  fr-PRODABO-chad.pdf, 3.80 MB (French)
• PRODALKA. Programme de Développement Rural Décentralisé II
  12 pages
  fr-PRODALKA-chad.pdf, 1.62 MB (French)