Environmental and Energy Environmental and Energy

Crisis in rural ChadCrisis in rural Chad

Barh Koh Environment and Sustainable Development Aid1440 Bathurst Street, Ste 101 —Toronto, Ontario (Canada) M5R 3J3

http://www.barhkoh.org - info@barhkoh.org

The country of Chad is located in north-Central Africa

Chad faces several environmental and humanitarian challenges

• Lake Chad has shrunk to 1/10th of its size over the past 40 years as a result of human activity and climate change.

• The northern desert is encroaching upon central Sahel zone due to overgrazing and overuse.

• Air and soil pollution are localized to specific areas surrounding industrial facilities and urban areas

• Greatest short-term environmental health risk in much of the country is water contamination.

Map of Chad showing different climate zones

Lack of access to energy sources led to deforestation

The most significant environmental problem in southern Chad was the deforestation of its tropical woodlands and forests.

• Deforestation in southern Chad is caused by the lack of access to electricity, resulting in a heavy dependence on trees for charcoal and firewood

• Less than three percent of the population in Chad has access to electricity

• Firewood and charcoal is the only source of energy for more than 97 percent of the country and for rural families that figure jumps to 100 percent

• The influx of refugees from Central African Republic and Sudan into southern Chad exacerbated the situation as displaced refugees compete with local inhabitants over natural resources for construction materials and firewood

• This leads to more deforestation, soil erosion, and depletion and pollution of scarce water resources.

Live trees are cut to make charcoal without a replanting strategy

Charcoal made from tree trunks

Dire Consequences Of Banning Charcoal • Barh Koh ESDA was among the voices of concern

regarding deforestation and desertification in Chad

• The Chad government recently issued a ban on charcoal in the country, without providing affordable alternative energy source to its impoverished population

• Firewood is not banned in so far as only dead trees, branches or twigs are used – but live trees cannot be chopped down for firewood

• Banning charcoal protects the environment and human health, yet the policy plunged poor communities into further despair since they have no means and therefore cannot afford to purchase an alternative source of energy such as gas or electricity to cook food or boil water

• Almost everywhere in the country, poor communities are in a despair because they have no access to energy source

• Daily practices such cooking and boiling water for many uses have become serious challenges for communities

Cooking with firewood

Making tea over charcoal

Barh Koh ESDA’s Approach to Averting the Crisis

• We are currently working to provide environmentally safe alternative energy sources to the disadvantaged inhabitants and refugees in the region of Maro in southern Chad.

• The group's efforts focus on cooking and indoor lighting, to help reduce dependence on firewood and thus, reducing the rate of deforestation

• Our approach will help reduce the rural dependency on firewood, improve living conditions, and prevents a plausible future return to the daily use of charcoal

Barh Koh ESDA is an international non-profit Charitable organization promoting poverty relief through practical environmental protection programs

Chad women carrying firewood

Significance of Energy for Rural Africa

Whether it is for :

• Providing lights for classrooms and infirmaries, • Refrigeration for food and medicine, • Pumps to irrigate crops,

Energy is fundamental to daily life and it provides the means for economic growth and social development. – that will lift Africa out of Poverty.

Providing alternative energy source to villages will relieverural poverty and will inevitably slow down the rural exodus

to cities as well as the African “Brain Drain”

Barh Koh ESDA’s Short-Term Action Plan

Solar cookers/ovens to poor rural families. Solar cookers cost approximately $40 while solar ovens are in the vicinity of $300; which constitute a very small investment to help relieve poverty and save the environment at the same time. Solar cookers and stoves are safe; they cause no danger of fire, burns or smoke inhalation associated with charcoal and wood burning.

Solar lanterns for poor families and students. A set of two solar lanterns can cost around $40 to $60, including shipping and handling. Solar lanterns are eco-friendly and will reduce the risks of fire hazards associated with kerosene lamps and firewood burning. A solar lantern will also enable a rural student to study and do homework after dark. Solar lanterns also provide indoor lighting in the otherwise dark rural dwellings.

Solar Flashlights to poor families and studentsA single solar powered flashlight is a handy emergency product that could save lives in a rural family that spends its evenings and nights in perpetual darkness, subject to all sorts of insects, reptiles and other elements. It can also be used by students with no access to lanterns or any other light source, to review assignments when it is dark. An average solar-powered flashlight would cost anywhere from $20 to $30 and weighs less than 2lbs. Yet, it can make a significant difference in someone’s life

Barh Koh ESDA' short term action plan to sustain rural communities who have no access to energy source involves providing solar cookers/ovens and lanterns to villagers

Barh Koh ESDA’s Long-Term Action Plan

• According to the Association for the development of energy in Africa, rural Africa will not have access to energy source until year 2050, at the earliest

• This means that much of the current generation in Africa may never have access to electricity in its lifetime – if we do nothing.

• Africa has rivers, plenty of sun, wind, and organic waste that can all be used to provide sources of energy now.

Our goal to is work with individuals, donor agencies, governments and other NGO’s to help provide affordable alternative energy source to rural communities and lift them out of poverty.

This can be done by developing small scale wind, solar or bio-energy sources for villages or groups of adjacent villages to help remove dependency on firewood, improve living conditions and promote rural economic development to lift them out of poverty

Example of rural energy solution. This can be done with goodwill and determination to help relieve rural poverty

How Can You Help?

Chad is a country in dire need, and addressing the needs of poor rural communities who rely on natural resources for their daily survival is a significant undertaking.

Our approach will help protect the environment, improve the rural built environment the well-being of local inhabitants as well as the displaced refugees.

This work ahead is huge and simply wouldn't be possible without your support. You can you to play a vital role in helping make Chad a better place to live.

Make your donation online today at:http://www.barhkoh.org/index.php/donationcenter, or http://www.ammado.com/nonprofit/barh-koh-esda

You may also send your charitable donations to: Barh Koh ESDA1440 Bathurst Street, Suite 101Toronto, Ontario, M5R 3J3 (Canada)

Charitable Tax Receipts will be issued for donations of $25 or more