TheImprovement ofTropical and Subtropical Rangelands

Case Study 12
The Potential of Faidherbia Albidafor
Desertification Control and Increased
Productivity in Chad
BY ROBERT D. KIRMSE AND BRIEN E. NORTON
Reforestation using Faidlaer6ia al6ida (also known as Acacia tJl­
6ida) has been proposed as a mechanism for combating desertification
trends in the Sahel. This tree is characterized by a deciduous
habit in the wet season; it is valuable for fodder, as a hardwood in
woodwork industries, and for enhancing lOil fertility of cropland. In
a three-year project described in this case study, the establishment
of Faidlaer6ia al6ida plantations in cultivated fields in central Chad
is conceived as a focal point to coordinate resource conservation and
land development programs. Several hundred thousand young trees
were established and about 2,500 farmers and their families participated
in the revegetation program. The succe. of the project must
be evaluated, however, in terms ofthe prospects for long-term benefit
and recognizing the sociological problems of assistance programs.
BACKGROUND
Chad is one of the poorest countries in the world, with a per
capita income of lees than US'100. It is a landlocked Sahelian country
with all of the complex problems IUl80ciated with a fragile arid
ecosystem and an economy bued on small-scale subsistence farming
and livestock grazing. It has a short growing season, poor lOils, uneven
rainfall patterns, and is subject to cyclical droughts. During the
drought period between 1970 and 1973, agricultural production was
350