Chad: The Water Scarcity Problem

The country of Chad is located in Africa. Chad is a landlocked country between Nigeria and Sudan. The Major problem in Chad is their water scarcity that they have. Chad has a population of 11,852,462. Of that 25% of the population lives in Urban. According to an online source it says, “ Agriculture and animal husbandry employs 85 percent of the country’s workforce but only contributes 44 percent to the GDP. While cotton, cattle, and gum arabic provide most of Chad’s export revenue, farmers also produce several subsistence crops for domestic consumption. Chad has a presidential republic type of government. According to an online source it says, “In 2015, arable land as a share of land area for Chad was 3.9 %. Arable land as a share of land area of Chad increased from 2.3 % in 1966 to 3.9 % in 2015 growing at an average annual rate of 1.13 %”(Chad- Arable land as a share of land area). Weather in Chad plays a big role in what crops are made. According to an online artcle it says, “ Chad has a hot and tropical climate, though temperatures do vary depending on area. The southern rainy season runs May-October, and the central rains from June-September. The north hasvery little rain all year. The dry season is often windy, and cooler during the evenings”(World Travel Guide). The major crop grown in Chad is Cotton. Cotton nearly makes up half of Chads population. The average family farm in Chad is between 1-2 hectares. Cotton is also very important to Chad, “Cotton is crucially important to the national economy, both in terms of income generation for farmers and for export revenue. Cotton accounts for two thirds of total exports from Chad”(Cottontapafrica).

In the Chad they typical family amount is around 5 people per person. A typical house in Chad consists of . However this is not the strongest building type but, the people of Chad do not have much to use in the dessert. A typical chadian family’s diet consists of a wide variety of grains, fruits, and vegetables with some meat once in a while. They hunt for their meat or obtain it from cows they then cook their meat over a fire. There are many types of jobs for people in chad. The jobs there range from a IT person to a Wash officer. They jobs in Chad depend on where in the country it is located. There will be more high paying jobs close to places like N’Djamena which is the capital of Chad. In Chad education is very hard not enough people are able to teach different things so others can understand them. However the government is putting together a plan to get 1 million kids to school. This is affordable because the government is willing to put in the money because as these kids grow up they will become more educated and able to make more money. 52% of the people in Chad have access to clean water, toilets, electricity, and local markets. However the farther north you go the more the percentage drops. The major barrier for most Canadian families is that there is not enough rainfall in the country. The women spend up to 6 hours a day going to fetch water for the family as the Man or husband is working on the food.

What’s the problem in Chad? The problem in Chad is that One its landlocked. Meaning that it is very difficult to have a bunch of access to water. Not only is that the problem but the fact that it makes it so much harder to import and export. Chad is the leading country in water scarcity today. Their major lake is running out of water and will not be able to sustain the steady amount of water that is being taken out. The problem is not getting better. Chad receives very little rainfall so it is very hard to fill up the lake. Many people in Chad do not have water taps. Water taps are like fossetts that you turn a knob and water comes pouring out. Many people have to walk distances to get fresh water for their family. Most people spend on average about 6 hours per day walking and gathering the water they need , as the father is hard at work. Some people in urban areas have water taps in Chad. Most of the rural population has to go out on their own to fetch their water. This affects people’s educations. Mostly for females. The females go out with their mother to gather water that way they are able to carry more. They are spending their time doing that when they could be inside learning and becoming educated. This problem is not only affecting males and females but different types of people to. The elderly are most at risk. Because of their age they are not able to walk 6 hours just to get water it is hard on their bodies so it makes them harder to obtain water. If they are not consuming enough water then they become dehydrated and start to sweat which makes them lose calories and become skinner and skinner. Not only does this affect elderly but the children to. Water is a necessity in everyday life. However lack of water for children is mindblowing. If kids are not getting the water they need that then affects their mental health and learning abilities. This is a concern because if our kids are not getting the good education they need to be successful in the future then how will it help out the country. These youths won’t be able to start a family if they don’t have the money and you receive the money by getting jobs but most jobs require good education.

What is water scarcity? Water scarcity is the lack of water that is available to the people. Many people all around the world struggle from water scarcity. However Chad is the biggest country that struggles with water scarcity. Chad isn’t the only country that is having water problems among Chad Yemen, Libya, and Jordan have major problems with their water problem.

How can we solve the water crisis in Chad. Because Chad is landlocked and it is hard to obtain water a major solution that can be done is to build rivers that go through Sudan and Nigeria. Constructing a river that goes through these countries will not only help Chad but Nigeria and Sudan as well. It will allow more water and farming opportunities to areas that are not near water areas. The river would be connected to The Gulf Of Guinea and the Red Sea. With connections from these 2 large bodies of water it would not only fix the water crisis but increase food, trade, and their country’s imports and exports. Once these rivers are constructed then water filtration systems will be placed to make the water healthy and drinkable to the people. If we will be able to do this we would be able to move Chad from the bottom of the list of worst water problems.

The real question is where the money and resources will be in order to fund this problem. If we can get the Chadians to understand that their water supply is running low then they will be on board with this. With a maximum people of 30 that worked on the rivers for just 2 hours a day would make significant progress and could fix the water problem in Chad anywhere between 6 months to a year. The government will then come through and purchase the water filtration systems. People in Sudan and Nigeria would also help build their part of the river throughout their country. The river would be dug and go through the middle of sudan. Then go down into Chad which would continue to go through the middle of the country and into the little area by Nigeria and go straight to The Gulf Of Guinea. The reason for where the rivers will be built is because it will hit the middle of Chad which will help both the north part of Chad and the southern part of Chad. it will then continue and go through Lake Chad which is near the capital of Chad.

Why should we construct this river? Well if we were to look at other rivers in africa a major example would be is the Nile river. The nile river is over 4,000 miles long. The Nile river is used for many things. It allows people to grow more food because they were able to use the Niles good soil. Not only did this make the nile so popular but also because the nile was drinkable. However no other country has created a river that goes between a total of 3 countries. But in desperate times requires desperate measusres. You need water to stay alive. The Nile river is very important it is a very important trade route for many countries. This is what the river that will be built will be like. It will take ships that would have to go all the way around Africa and be able to go through the middle. This is basically the Mississippi river. The Mississippi river is a major trade river and was used for transportation back before there was cars and planes. This will be able to last a long time. These water filtration systems that will be included can last up to 10 years before they need refiltering. This is a good connection because it will allow you to get your money’s worth and even more. The government of Chad will need to purchase these but once they get them built then the people of Chad will be much more healthier.

In conclusion building the river will be a major improvement and can fix Chad’s water scarcity problem. From non- profit organizations to governments there are many things that can be done in order to solve the water scarcity problem. This will increase Trade, food production, and also healthiness throughout the country’s.

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