Empowering Sudanese Communities in Times of Drought

In the arid region of Darfur, Sudan, in which communities heavily rely on small-scale farming, an increasingly unpredictable rainfall pattern threatens livelihoods. 

I mentioned the scale of the continent of Africa in my last post, and it is essential for me to emphasise the size of the Wadi El Ku catchment area before telling its story (Fig. 2). The area impressively spans 38,000 km^2, comparable in size to Slovenia, and plays an essential role for nearly 700,000 people. Here, agriculture is fundamental for survival (Fig. 1). 

Fig. 1: Farmers in Darfur, source: UNEP

    

Fig. 2: Map of Sudan and Wadi el Ku (in red)

    

Good governance: the bedrock of achievement

Sudan, plagued by conflicts, does not have a strong governmental base for natural resources management. Local traditional institutions are key in resource distribution and peace keeping.

The solution to water security in a conflict zone: bottom-up approach

UNEP’s response to Sudan’s droughts, defining them as ‘the world’s first climate change conflict’,is the adoption of a bottom-up strategy to ensure water security and peace. 

But what does this strategy represent? 

Fig. 3: Picture taken during the participatory process

 

The bottom-up strategy represents prioritising communities’ consensus and every involved party's participation in the decision-making processes. Remarkably, conflicted communities united to seek a common ground for a common goal: achieving water security. 

Environmental change and gender: ‘leave no one behind’

Participatory processes, moderated by the UN, cooperating with government institutes, allowed the construction of a low dam (weir). The weir raises the level of water upstream and regulates the flow, leading to villages which had not seen rain for thirteen years feel wet again. Along with securing water needs, the project ensures gender inclusivity. Mariam Abubakr who takes part of the project said 'Women are able to make a difference in several fields, including agriculture. But they need support and empowerment... I'm glad to see these women reap the fruits of their effort' (Fig. 6, 7).

Fig. 4: Photograph of the weir (UNEP)

Fig. 5: Photograph of Sudanese men enjoying the water (UNEP)

Fig. 6: Number of women and men participating in the project (UNEP)

Fig. 7: Collaboration between groups (UNEP) 

Building trust between communities

A crucial outcome of this project has been the trust it has built between communities, cooperating to tackle common challenges. After fifteen years, an official peace treaty has even been made between pastoralist and farming communities (Fig. 8). The depth of this trust is emphasised by communities inviting each other to their children’s weddings!

Fig. 8: A pastoralist and a farmer shaking hands (UNEP)

While this project succeeded by reducing inequalities and giving access to safe water in all villages involved, there are still challenges when it comes to managing the weirs and preserving water's natural flow in the area. Most importantly, the project's success is the trust built between communities. The UN’s exit relies on local efforts for sustainable change.