** Floods from 2024 to Chad: survive the deluge and adapt to a climatic reality **
In the summer of 2024, Chad was struck by unprecedented floods, causing nearly 600 victims and receiving nearly 2 million people. A tragic event that illustrates better than any other the effects of global warming on the most vulnerable populations. However, behind this alarming figure hides a complex human reality which deserves worried and thoughtful attention.
If it is fair to mention the individual tragedies and the material destruction caused by the breaks of the logone and hulled rivers, it is essential to explore how these extreme events reshape the social, economic, and even psychological life of the affected Chadians. The account of Mathieu Njilbé, delegate of the Kabé district, recalls that these disasters are not isolated incidents but the result of a growing climate crisis which requires a multi-sectoral collective response.
** Rescue campaigns for adaptation strategies: a long way to go **
The victims camps, such as that where Nojimbadoum Nanidoum lives, are temporary solutions to permanent problems. Welcoming more than 34,000 people, these makeshift shelters have become the symbol of persistent distress and the lack of adequate infrastructure. Most of these people do not have the resources necessary to rebuild their lives. Their days are a daily fight for survival, where the lack of food and access to health services are crying.
This raises an essential question: how can we guarantee a worthy life for millions of people who, for many, have no choice but to live near unleashed rivers? The CAIDEL NGO proposal to build more robust houses and adapt agricultural systems is not enough to respond to the immediate emergency. We must also consider solutions in the longer term.
In Chad, more than 10 million people live in risk areas, exposed to devastating climate impacts. The figures are overwhelming: according to the World Bank data, Chad may experience an increase of 2 to 4 degrees Celsius by 2050, resulting in growing food deficits, a social disorganization and a massive rural exodus.
** A collective resilience: the way to follow **
An often unnoticed aspect is the resilience of the community. Chadians have shown an incredible ability to adapt in adversity. Before 2024, isolated projects for reforestation and sustainable irrigation had been launched by various NGOs, and these initiatives must become the norm, not the exception. Cultures that had been abandoned for climatic reasons could be reintroduced with regenerative methods of agriculture, promoting sustainability.
In addition, education plays a crucial role. The children of victims, private school, are in danger of becoming “invisible losers” in this crisis. Their skills, their learning, and their ability to reconnect with the earth are fundamental issues. The government, in cooperation with NGOs like Caidel, must prioritize the creation of temporary schools and training on resilient practices in the face of disasters.
** The role of the authorities: a shared responsibility **
The call for help launched by the president of Kabé victims cannot remain unanswered. The authorities, at all levels, must become aware of their responsibility for the most vulnerable. Investing in drainage infrastructure, revising urban planning plans, and strengthening early alert systems are gestures that go beyond simple reaction to an immediate crisis. They should be part of a national resilience strategy in the face of disasters.
In addition, it is crucial to include the voices of those who live this reality in planning dialogues. Local communities, in direct contact with challenges, often have precious insights that can enrich public policies.
** In conclusion: a plea for climate justice **
The floods in Chad are much more than a natural cataclysm; They reveal the structural flaws of a society in the face of a galloping climate crisis. On the way to adaptation, there are no universal solutions but many diversified approaches that integrate local knowledge and community initiatives.
Chad thus represents a microcosm of a global struggle: that for climate justice, where each voice counts. National and international solidarity becomes essential to help these communities to recover and adapt to an increasingly uncertain future. It is this collective resilience which, perhaps more than anything else, will determine their ability to overcome the challenges of years to come.