LWF Chad celebrates the World Environment Day

LWF Chad teams were actively mobilized and invested their time for the celebration of the World Environment Day. LWF Chad staff participated to June 5 festivities all over the country and promoted the numerous environmental and alternative energy projects that the program implements.

Local authorities and NGOs were also largely present to celebrate this important event in a country particularly vulnerable to natural disasters and climate change. This year’s theme, « 7 billion dreams. One planet. Consume with care. » rightly echoed the environmental problems refugees and host communities members face every day in the country.

Massive influxes of refugee populations from Sudan and the Central African Republic have largely stressed limited or scarce natural resources and fragile ecosystems. LWF Chad answers numerous environmental challenges by integrating an environmental protection strategy and works to provide practical solutions. For example, LWF Teams in the field deploy awareness campaigns, establish reforestation areas, organize environmental committees and propose alternative energy sources.

Numerous beneficiaries have also joined celebrations of the World Environment Day and participated to the traditional danses, speeches, best environment protector contest and various plays organized for this event.  Women from the Gaga refugee camp made a solar cooker demonstration and more than 4000 seedlings have been planted all over the country.

Refugees and host communities members took advantage of the celebrations to reiterate their demands for more wood distributions, the increase in alternative energy sources, their need for more combustible bricks presses, securing of dead wood collection areas and more plantings of fruit trees.

Even if the work is far from being finished, the active and large population participation proves awareness of the importance of environmental preservation, for ecosystems and for development.