Chad

The subject for my portrait for Chad is Hindou Oumarou Ibrahim, environmental activist and geographer who is an expert in indigenous peoples’ adaptation to climate change and traditional ecological knowledge

Photograph by Fatakaya - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=74360242

Geography

Chad is a landlocked country at the crossroads of North and Central Africa. It is bordered by Libya to the north, Sudan to the east, the Central African Republic to the south, Cameroon to the southwest, Nigeria to the southwest (at Lake Chad), and Niger to the west.

Chad has several regions: a desert zone in the north, an arid Sahelian belt in the centre and a more fertile Sudanian Savanna zone in the south. Lake Chad, after which the country is named, is the second-largest wetland in Africa.

Source Wikipedia

Environmental issues

Chad has significant environmental concerns. In 2018 in a survey it was found to be the country most vulnerable to climate change. Chad has issues with increasing dessertification and suffers from both floods and droughts. This is amplified by high levels of poverty and a long history of civil unrest.

Lake Chad has been the second largest wetlands area in Africa and is essential for the way of life of people and wildlife living in the area and yet the area of the lake has diminished down to only 10% of the size it was back in the 1960s

About Hindou

Hindou is an environmental activist who has been working for over 15 years on behalf of her people the Mbororo in Chad. She works to empower indigenous voices and ensure their inclusion on international platforms.

Whilst Hindou was a student in Ndjamena she noticed she was discriminated against as an indigenous woman and also of the ways in which her Mbororo counterparts were excluded from the educational opportunities she received. As a response to this, in 1999 Hindou founded the Association of Indigenous Peul Women and Peoples of Chad (AFPAT) promoting rights and providing environmental advocacy for indigenous people

Hindou has witnessed first hand the effects of climate change as her community rely on natural resources for their survival, have been directly impacted by the drying up of Lake Chad and as such are direct victims of climate change. Many in her community have also been displaced as climate change has forced them to abandon their lands.

Since 2005, Hindou has participated in international negotiations on climate, sustainable development, biodiversity, and environmental protection.

For more information on Hindou’s advocacy, research and awards, please follow the links below to the YouTube video