The Chadian authorities have laid the foundation stone for the rehabilitation of the Gardeners' Canal in N'Djamena. The project, funded by a grant from the French Development Agency (AFD), aims to improve collective sanitation in Chad's capital.
The Gardeners’ Canal Development Project (PACAJ) is now on track. Work was launched recently in the Chadian capital N’Djamena in the presence of local and administrative authorities. The project aims to strengthen the hydraulic function of this open-air canal as well as to promote urban integration around this structure by including other related facilities such as public sports areas and local amenities.
Pacaj will allow for the construction of infrastructure, the rehabilitation of the canal and the network of gutters that feed it, as well as waste management. The project also aims to build the capacities of municipal teams and actors in charge of maintaining the facilities set up under the project.
AFD financing
The 2 km long Gardeners’ Canal is presented as a real “green corridor” in several districts of the Chadian capital. However, for several years now, the functioning of this drain has been disrupted by the dilapidation of the network of secondary collectors, the dumping of rubbish and invasive vegetation. This situation affects the living environment of at least 150,000 people who live around the canal.
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In addition to the rehabilitation of the canal and its catchment area, the municipality of N’Djamena also wants to set up other related facilities for the population. These include a market for fruit and vegetables, ten sports fields, a multi-purpose socio-cultural centre, a pilot cleanliness centre and market garden areas with the planting of 1,400 trees and the installation of public lighting along the canal.
The Pacaj is financed with a 15 million euro grant from the French Development Agency (AFD). According to the Paris-based financial institution, the PACAJ contributes to climate resilience through “flood control and sustainable waste management, while accentuating the greening of urban areas”.
Jean Marie Takouleu
