Africa Innovates Magazine - Flipbook - Page 17
Population growth and climate change
have exacerbated tensions between
Chad’s
M’Bbororo
herders
and
sedentary farmers. One particularly
contentious issue is the herders’ ability
to access river, dam and other water
sources for their cattle.
Local solutions have been central to
calming tensions – like those proffered
by Hindou Oumarou Ibrahim, head of
the Association des Femmes Peules
Autochtones du Tchad (AFPAT), who in
2011 worked with partners to deploy
technology-based solutions in order to
avoid clashes that were spiraling out of
control.
P23DM is a community-based method
for mapping landscapes using local and
traditional knowledge of the surrounding
environment. Natural features, such as ridges
and plateaus, are mapped out on a board by
the community, which leads to the creation
of an intricate 2D and 3D landscape models,
from which data about the surrounding area
can be extrapolated.
This process brought together herders,
scientists, representatives from the UN,
government officials and the nomadic
communities especially in the district of
Baïbokoum, Chad.
Overall, 60 M’Bororo men and women were
involved in the project, representing the
interests of 250,000 nomadic herders in the
region with more than 300 people participating
to build the map.
The mapping exercises confirmed that
indigenous communities must be involved
in decision-making for effective conflict
resolution. They also showed that women
play a particularly key role in social cohesion.
Hindou is paving the way for female-led
climate change solutions in Chad, and we’re
deeply proud of her.
FOOD SECURITY
SETTLING CLIMATE
DISPUTES WITH
2D AND 3D PARTICIPATORY
MAPPING IN CHAD
“We fight for survival,
and nature is our
supermarket. To protect
it we use our indigenous
traditional knowledge
and science. We develop
participatory 2D and
3D mapping projects to
help women and young
people manage the few
resources left.”
Hindou Oumarou Ibrahim
Since 2012, Ms. Oumarou’s efforts have
helped to maintain peaceful dialogue in the
area. With support from FAO, a pastoral code
has also been developed which recognizes the
land rights of the nomadic M’Bororo people.
The Ministry of Livestock allocated 6,000
kilometres of land corridors through which
herders can now move their cattle.
Photo credit: Hindou Oumarou Ibrahim - a 2021 Rolex Award Laureate - uses indigenous
peoples’ traditional knowledge to map natural resources and prevent climate conflicts in the
Sahel ©Ami Vitale (Rolex)
SHOWCASING AFRICAN CLIMATE CHAMPIONS
Photo credit: Hindou Oumarou Ibrahim
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