The last remaining oases on the edge of the Sahara Desert are under threat from creeping sand dunes, imperiling the lives of the people who depend on them for survival. In western Chad's Kanem province, where 70,000 square kilometers of arid landscape stretch out to infinity, the neatly tended gardens and silver-green palm trees of Kaou oasis stand in stark contrast to the surrounding desolation.
For thousands of years, oases like Kaou have sustained human life in some of the world's driest environments. Yet, globally, an estimated 150 million people rely on these water-rich havens for their livelihoods – and in Chad, such oases are vanishing at an alarming rate.
The country's landlocked central African location makes it the most vulnerable nation to climate breakdown, with two-thirds of its territory comprising desert. Temperatures in Kanem province are rising at twice the global average, exacerbating the problem. The relentless heat and aridity have wiped out much of Kaou's vegetation, leaving behind a mere wadi – or river valley – that stretches for just a few hundred meters.
Mahamat Souleymane Issa, a 51-year-old chief from one of the villages surrounding Kaou oasis, remembers when his community was rich in livestock and trees. "When I was a child, this wadi was very big," he says, gesturing towards the thin strip of greenery that remains.
The local population is now scrambling to protect what's left. SOS Sahel, a non-profit development organization, has installed solar-powered irrigation systems and provided training to farmers, enabling them to grow crops and harvest dates from the remaining palm trees. However, funding for these initiatives dried up in 2023, leaving many without access to reliable water supplies.
In contrast, a similar program in the nearby oasis of Barkadroussou has shown remarkable success. The introduction of solar-powered pumps has supported over 300 farmers, providing sustenance for around 3,000 villagers. Fields of onions, lettuce, and millet surround lush forests of palm and banana trees, with a turquoise lake at their center.
For Omar Issa, a 40-year-old former goldminer who now works in the oasis's gardens, the contrast between his old life and the new one is striking. "It's very hot, there's not much to eat, and there are many attacks," he says of his experiences working in the goldfields. However, in Kaou, "there was no work here, so I had no other choice."
As climate change continues to ravage oases like Kaou, the stakes are higher than ever for those who call them home. If funding for initiatives like SOS Sahel's doesn't materialize soon, Issa fears that his children may have to leave their ancestral homeland in search of better opportunities – a prospect he hopes will never come to pass.
For thousands of years, oases like Kaou have sustained human life in some of the world's driest environments. Yet, globally, an estimated 150 million people rely on these water-rich havens for their livelihoods – and in Chad, such oases are vanishing at an alarming rate.
The country's landlocked central African location makes it the most vulnerable nation to climate breakdown, with two-thirds of its territory comprising desert. Temperatures in Kanem province are rising at twice the global average, exacerbating the problem. The relentless heat and aridity have wiped out much of Kaou's vegetation, leaving behind a mere wadi – or river valley – that stretches for just a few hundred meters.
Mahamat Souleymane Issa, a 51-year-old chief from one of the villages surrounding Kaou oasis, remembers when his community was rich in livestock and trees. "When I was a child, this wadi was very big," he says, gesturing towards the thin strip of greenery that remains.
The local population is now scrambling to protect what's left. SOS Sahel, a non-profit development organization, has installed solar-powered irrigation systems and provided training to farmers, enabling them to grow crops and harvest dates from the remaining palm trees. However, funding for these initiatives dried up in 2023, leaving many without access to reliable water supplies.
In contrast, a similar program in the nearby oasis of Barkadroussou has shown remarkable success. The introduction of solar-powered pumps has supported over 300 farmers, providing sustenance for around 3,000 villagers. Fields of onions, lettuce, and millet surround lush forests of palm and banana trees, with a turquoise lake at their center.
For Omar Issa, a 40-year-old former goldminer who now works in the oasis's gardens, the contrast between his old life and the new one is striking. "It's very hot, there's not much to eat, and there are many attacks," he says of his experiences working in the goldfields. However, in Kaou, "there was no work here, so I had no other choice."
As climate change continues to ravage oases like Kaou, the stakes are higher than ever for those who call them home. If funding for initiatives like SOS Sahel's doesn't materialize soon, Issa fears that his children may have to leave their ancestral homeland in search of better opportunities – a prospect he hopes will never come to pass.
... 150 million ppl rely on these water rich havens for survival & chad is taking the biggest hit due to climate breakdown 
... the situation is grim, especially with temperatures in kanem province rising TWICE THE GLOBAL AVERAGE 
... gotta do more to support initiatives like sos sahel's efforts to provide solar powered irrigation systems & training to farmers 
I'm so worried about these oases! 150 million people rely on them for survival and it's like they're disappearing right before our eyes. I mean, can you even imagine not having access to water or food? It's like, what's going to happen to all those families who are counting on Kaou oasis for their livelihoods?
its like they're losing a part of their identity and way of life... 150 million people rely on them for survival so it's not just a local problem, it's global 
... we need to do something ASAP before it's too late 
We can't let these oases disappear like that. We gotta do better for our planet and its inhabitants. If not us, who? 
. Seriously though, I feel bad for the people who depend on these oases for their livelihoods. Climate change is no joke, and it's affecting some of the most vulnerable communities out there.
) that funding for these initiatives picks up soon and those oases get the support they need. We can't have people having to leave their homes just because of climate change. That's not exactly the kind of "green" revolution we're looking for 
.
The fact that 300 farmers are thriving in a nearby oasis while people in Kaou are struggling is wild. It's like they're living in different worlds. And what's up with the funding drying up for SOS Sahel? Like, didn't we learn anything from the success of the Barkadroussou program? 
I'm not trying to be negative, but it's hard not to feel like this is just a ticking time bomb waiting to happen... 
this is so unfair - I mean, oases are basically the lifeblood of these communities and yet we're still talking about them disappearing 
it's not like they're just going to magically fix themselves or something - we need more funding for initiatives like SOS Sahel ASAP 
can't believe we're even having to have this conversation in the first place...
, like Kaou in western Chad. These places have been sustaining life for thousands of years, and it's heartbreaking to see them disappearing at an alarming rate due to climate change 
. I mean, 70,000 square kilometers of arid landscape is a lot, but it's the people who are really suffering here - farmers, villagers, like Omar Issa 
.
! The solar-powered pumps and irrigation systems have made all the difference for those farmers. It's like a whole new world up in there 
. But it's just not fair that SOS Sahel's funding dried up, leaving some people without access to reliable water supplies 
. We can't just sit back and watch as they're forced to leave their ancestral homes in search of better opportunities 
. Let's do something about it!
sos sahel is doing amazing work but they need more funding ASAP 
can we please do something to stop this? i'm literally sending all my good vibes to the ppl of chad and other affected countries 
these ppl gotta fight to survive but its hard wen ur livelihood is based on somethin thats goin away fast 
what's goin on with oases? like how can sand dunes just creep up and destroy all this water and life? isn't climate change supposed to help us learn how to preserve these things not make them worse? 
. i feel bad for mahamat souleymane issa and omar issa, living in a world where their ancestral homes r literally dying 
But what really gets me is how funding has dried up and now farmers might not get the support they need. I don't know how Omar Issa's family can just leave their ancestral homeland without a fight. It's like, we're running out of time here! Climate change is real folks 