Lake Chad Region Soil Classes and Pedogenic Processes

UNEP/GRID developed this soils dataset for the Lake Chad Commission on Sustainable Development. It covers parts of seven countries and is based on the 1977 FAO/UNESCO Soil Map of the World at a scale of 1:5,000,000. The dataset was published in December 1988 and includes files representing FAO soil classes, pedogenic processes, and texture and slope classes.

Use Cases

• Map FAO soil classification units across the Lake Chad region based on the SOILNEW file.
• Analyze pedogenic processes and regimes using the PEDOLOGY file.
• Assess soil texture and slope classes for agricultural suitability based on the TXTSLP file description.
• Define the study area extent for regional analysis using the SOILS file containing tics and map extent.

Strengths

• Based on the authoritative FAO/UNESCO Soil Map of the World (1977).
• Covers a large transboundary region spanning parts of seven countries.
• Includes multiple thematic layers for soil classes, pedogenic processes, and texture/slope.

Limitations

• Data is derived from 1977 sources and published in 1988; freshness unverified.
• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• Row count and file sizes are unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.

Provenance

Source

UNEP/GRID-Nairobi, FAO, ESRI

Collection Method

Developed from the FAO/UNESCO Soil Map of the World and DMA Topographic Maps.

Time Range

Publication date: December 1988. Source maps dated 1975-1982.

Geography

Lake Chad region covering parts of Cameroon, Chad, Niger, Nigeria, Central African Republic, Libya, and Sudan.