Nature in Chad

Chad's natural landscapes change sharply from north to south. The north includes the Sahara, the Tibesti and the sandstone formations of Ennedi. Ounianga contains 18 permanent lakes in a hyper-arid setting and is a UNESCO Natural World Heritage site. The Ennedi region has canyons, arches, rock plateaus and water points and is a UNESCO Mixed World Heritage site. The Sahel includes Lake Fitri, the Ouadi Rime–Ouadi Achim area and the Lake Chad basin. The south contains Sudanian savanna, the Chari–Logone and Salamat floodplains, and protected areas such as Zakouma, Siniaka Minia, Manda and Sena Oura. Chad uses national parks, wildlife reserves, natural and cultural reserves, Ramsar wetlands and other managed landscapes to conserve habitats and species. Ramsar sites are wetlands recognized under the international wetland convention. They cover major areas including Lac Fitri, the Chadian part of Lake Chad, Binder-Léré, the Logone and Toupouri floodplains, the Massenya plain, and the Bahr Aouk and Salamat floodplains. The six Ramsar sites together cover about 12,405,068 hectares. Other formal or operational conservation areas include Zakouma National Park, the Greater Zakouma Functional Ecosystem, the Ennedi Natural and Cultural Reserve, the OROA Reserve, the Aouk-Keita Landscape, Binder-Léré National Park and Sena Oura National Park. The national environment ministry leads public nature policy, with wildlife and forest authorities, the Forest and Wildlife Guard, local governments, traditional authorities and communities sharing responsibilities according to the site and activity. Loi 14/PR/2008 covers forests, wildlife and fishery resources, while Loi 23/CNT/2024 concerns environmental protection. National parks are generally established without ordinary use rights under the legal framework. Park plans, internal regulations, local participation rules and possible compensation determine how nearby communities can use resources or take part in management. Governance is currently changing: agreements with African Parks were brought back into force on 17 October 2025, and a government committee was documented on 6 May 2026 to renegotiate arrangements concerning Zakouma, the Greater Zakouma ecosystem, Ennedi and Aouk. The state remains the responsible authority during this transition. Chad's wildlife includes elephants, buffalo, lions, the north-east African cheetah, Lelwel hartebeest, Buffon's kob and Kordofan giraffes. Zakouma has about 66 mammal species, more than 1,300 Kordofan giraffes and around 800 savanna elephants. More than 13,000 buffalo were recorded there in 2025, and more than 900 buffalo were translocated to Siniaka Minia in 2022. Two black rhinoceroses have also been reintroduced. Waterbird counts in Bahr Aouk, Salamat and Lac Fitri record more than 140 resident and migratory species, including pelicans, cranes, storks and ducks. Lake Chad also provides habitat for the Kouri cattle breed, fish nurseries and spawning grounds, and local natron and Spirulina use. Natural areas are also working landscapes. Fishing, livestock keeping, transhumance, rain-fed farming, irrigation, rice, sorghum, taro, fuelwood, medicinal plants, fruits, natron and Spirulina support households and local economies. Fishing permits distinguish national fishers from foreign fishers, and commercial fishing requires a permit. Subsistence fishing for personal consumption does not involve selling the catch, while fishing inside a protected area requires special authorization. Poison, explosives, electricity, blocking more than half of a river, striking fish and damaging spawning grounds or young fish are prohibited. Local and regional mesh-size and seasonal rules can apply after consultation with local authorities and fishing communities. Pastoral mobility depends on grazing corridors and water points. Drought, insecure land tenure, protected-area zoning and insecurity can create disputes between farmers and herders or affect transhumance. Dialogue committees, corridor mapping, local mediation and cross-border cooperation involving Chad, Cameroon and the Central African Republic are used in some areas. Other conflicts concern poaching, crop and livestock damage by wildlife, fishing pressure, overgrazing, fire, oil exploration, mining, irrigation, cement production and pesticides. Nature-based tourism in Chad is concentrated in selected locations rather than provided through one nationwide access system. Zakouma generally receives visitors from the end of November to the end of May and closes during the wet season from May or June to October. Guided vehicle safaris, birdwatching and camps are available through providers, with booking, an invitation letter, a passport valid for at least six months, two blank passport pages, a visa or e-visa, police registration and a yellow fever certificate required for the relevant journey. Photography in Zakouma may need special permission, while photography in villages can be restricted. Access to Ennedi and Ounianga depends on the site, security conditions and management plan. No single reliable national entrance fee applies to all protected or designated natural areas. Drought, desertification, heat, erosion, strong winds, wildfire and extreme floods affect ecosystems and people. Flood exposure is high and increasing around rivers, lakes and seasonal watercourses; major floods occurred in 2012, 2022 and 2024. About 4% of Chad's land has fluvial flood risk and about 18% has pluvial flood risk. Nature-focused prevention includes protecting wetlands, maintaining vegetation and water systems, managing grazing and fire, and monitoring changes. Bush fires outside the legal framework are prohibited; controlled early burning is limited to defined areas, daytime conditions and calm weather, with notification at least 15 days in advance. Biodiversity education and monitoring use environmental curricula near some Ramsar sites, community radio, French and national languages, local associations, management committees, ranger training and annual biodiversity or waterbird surveys. Camp Dari in Zakouma receives more than 6,500 local visitors per year. Access to environmental education remains fragmented and is often linked to projects or protected areas rather than a single nationwide programme. Monitoring uses aerial surveys, GPS collars, waterbird counts and anti-poaching operations, but information outside core parks and Ramsar sites remains uneven.