Powered by IFAD

Rural poverty approaches, policies and strategies in Chad

The Government of Chad is promoting long-term economic growth in order to reduce poverty and vulnerability and improve living conditions, health and education for its population. The recently updated National Strategy for Growth and Poverty Reduction embodies the government's development goals. The main priorities of the strategy and targets for investment are agriculture and rural development.

Environmental protection and restoration are key elements underpinning all sectoral policies.

The poverty reduction strategy has five main objectives:

• promoting good governance and optimum management of public resources to reinforce social cohesion
• creating an economic environment favourable to growth and employment
• developing potential for growth in the rural sector; in agriculture, livestock, fisheries
• investing in infrastructure; improving access to transport, energy, irrigation systems, drinking water and sanitation, and information and communications throughout the country
• improving education, health care and social protection programmes, with particular attention to improving conditions for women, disabled people and the elderly

With regard to agricultural and rural development, key objectives are to:

• increase production and agricultural productivity in a sustainable manner
• promote new competitive crops such as rice and gum arabic, and aquaculture
• improve natural resource management
• enable rural communities to manage their own development
• improve extension services to rural communities

The government has made a commitment to improve access to clean drinking water and water for agriculture and livestock for the benefit of at least 60 per cent of the population by 2015.

Source: IFAD