Strategies for Irrigation Development Chad/USAID
The potential for irrigation development in Chad's two climatic zones, the Sahelian and the Sudanian, is assessed. A brief introduction giving the report's perspective and a general country description precede summary statements on the irrigation analyses. A discussion of the Sahelian zone - where water management and irrigation are critical to agriculture - examines important socioeconomic aspects (ethnographic structure, land use, and land and water rights) as well as environmental characteristics affecting irrigation development. Five specific cases are used to describe experience with irrigation, and recommendations to improve irrigation programs are made. Technical observations and recommendations for the major irrigation projects underway in the Sudanian region, where the relative benefits of investment in irrigation are ambiguous, are more briefly given. Recommendations concerning Chad's capacity to design and integrate small-scale irrigation systems into its agricultural economy conclude the report. Appendices provide detail on the areas and irrigation projects used in the analyses.