First Board Meeting of the Ouadi Rimé–Ouadi Achim Faunal Reserve

The very first Board of Directors meeting of the Ouadi Rimé – Ouadi Achim Faunal Reserve (OROAFR) was held on Friday, March 27, in N’Djamena. The meeting was chaired by the Secretary General of the Ministry of Environment, Fisheries, and Sustainable Development, Mr. Julien Koularambaye Koundja, representing the Minister.

This meeting marks a major milestone in the establishment of the reserve’s governance and lays the foundations for inclusive and coordinated management, serving both biodiversity and local communities.

The Board approved its legal and operational framework, as well as the composition of the Interprovincial Advisory Council, and discussed key strategic priorities for the years ahead.

Covering an area of 77,950 km² (nearly three times the size of Rwanda), OROAFR is the largest protected area in Chad and one of the largest in Africa. Established in 1969, it aims to protect an exceptional natural heritage in the face of growing pressures. It is home to iconic and endangered species, such as the addax, the dama gazelle, and the scimitar-horned oryx.

However, the reserve faces multiple environmental and socio-economic pressures, ranging from climate change and desertification to human pressure and the depletion of natural resources.

In this context, Chad’s Ministry of the Environment, Fisheries, and Sustainable Development and Sahara Conservation have signed a renewable ten-year agreement for the management of the reserve.

Through this public-private partnership, the Government of Chad and Sahara Conservation are joining forces to strengthen the conservation of this fragile ecosystem, while promoting management practices that balance nature conservation with the sustainable development of local communities, using a participatory and tailored approach.