Paysage, pratiques « habitantes » et aménagement des interfaces ville-fleuve à N’Djamena (Tchad)

Abstract

Like many African cities, N’Djamena is experiencing rapid and uncontrolled urban growth with a population that has tripled in three decades. This has led to a high demand for resources and increased pressure on peripheral areas and their landscapes, including the banks of the river Chari which is fed by tropical rains. As a result of the development of social and economic activities essential to the inhabitants of N’Djamena, peripheral neighbourhoods have grown spontaneously on the banks of the river. This situation has led to considerable pressure on the river environment which has not been adequately addressed in urban development policies. These policies have been based on a top-down implementation of Agenda 21 and have not taken into account the expertise of the local population. The exceptional floods in the autumn of 2022 revealed this error. The aim of this article is to explore the actions and reactions of local authorities and residents at the time of and after the flooding that lasted several months (slow flooding). The research approach is based on participant observations and interviews with the various players responsible for the development of the riverbanks, as well as a survey of people engaged in socio-spatial activities along the river. The ideas presented here stem from a doctoral research study entitled "The city-river interface in sub-Saharan Africa (Chari River, N’Djamena, Chad). Spatial planning and socio-economic development based on local practices." The lessons learned from this disaster could inspire new ways of managing areas where public policy, community action and the practices of inhabitants interact.

Keywords

• flooding
• city-river interface
• urban growth
• socio-spatial practices
• climate challenges