Darfuris trained to provide environmental support to their communities in North Darfur

Fifty-nine people from across the Wadi El Ku project area have been trained as Natural Resource Management (NRM) extension agents. Alongside the community trainees, technical staff from the Forestry National Corporation (FNC) and extension staff from the Ministry of Agriculture were also trained.

The purpose of the training, held in November and December 2015 in El Fasher town – with hands-on field work in Shagra and Magdoub villages – was to produce a cadre of local NRM extension agents who will act as promoters of natural resource management and pass on knowledge and techniques to the wider community. Trained government technical staff will ensure that NRM extension capacity is broadened within relevant government departments responsible for providing extension services to communities.

The training course covered a range of topics, including: community forestry and seedling nursery management; tree pruning and care; tapping gum Arabic; agro-forestry approaches; protecting and regenerating pastures; stabilizing gullies using vetiver grass; and natural resource laws and policies. Training was provided by staff from Practical Action, UNEP, the University of El Fashir, the Ministry of Environment, the Department of Range and Pastures (State Ministry of Agriculture), FNC, as well as gum Arabic tapping specialists from the Agricultural Research Corporation.

Every 4 months Practical Action will monitor the work of at least 4 extension agents, each in a different section of the project area to see what they have achieved since the training, the kind of extension services they have provided and to whom.

THE WADI EL KU CATCHMENT

MANAGEMENT PROJECT AIMS TO

STRENGTHEN LIVELIHOODS AND

CONTRIBUTE TO PEACE THROUGH THE

INTEGRATED AND SUSTAINABLE

MANAGEMENT OF WATER AND OTHER

NATURAL RESOURCES. THE PROJECT IS

FUNDED BY THE EUROPEAN UNION

FNC LAUNCHES ANOTHER TREE SEEDLING NURSERY IN EL FASHER

WADI EL KU CATCHMENT MANAGEMENT PROJECT JANUARY 2016 NEWSLETTER

Below: ’The Director of Sudan’s Agricultural Renaissance Project, Dr. Abduljabbar Osman, on a recent visit to the farm of one of the beneficiaries of Seil Gideim dam’ 

Sudan’s Agricultural Renaissance Project to replicate WEK project’s water-harvesting dam across Sudan

The Director of Sudan’s Agricultural Renaissance Project, Dr. Abduljabbar Hussein Osman, was impressed by what he saw at the Seil Gideim dam site on a recent visit to El Fasher. In particular the detailed planning and consultation that preceded the construction of the dam, the visible impact of the structure on production and its benefits for the neighboring communities, the community’s in-kind and cash contribution towards construction of the dam, and the active and ongoing community-led management of the dam.

Based on the results of Seil Gideim, Dr. Osman highlighted the intention to replicate a similar approach to rainwater harvesting for agricultural production in other parts of Sudan. He commended the high level of community environmental awareness, and also how the dam brought together government, local communities upstream and downstream of the selected site, NGOs and the UN to implement an effective rainwater harvesting approach that benefits both people and the environment.

The Commissioner of El Fasher Locality, UNEP, and the State Minister of Environment at the FNC nursery launch celebration’

More than 100 people convened to celebrate the launch of the Forestry National Corporation’s (FNC) new tree seedling nursery in North Darfur. The celebration was held at the site of the new nursery, which brings important tree seedling varieties as well as forestry extension services closer to communities. Acted drama and an exhibition on forest resources were used to highlight the importance of the forestry sector in Darfur, and communities from the project area, government staff, and environmental NGOs from El Fasher attended the celebration. The new nursery was inaugurated by the State Minister of Environment, the Commissioner of El Fasher Locality, a representative from Dar El Salaam Locality, FNC and UNEP. Visiting from Geneva to show support for the environment and forestry in Sudan, Mr. Henrik Slotte, the Director of UNEP’s Post-Conflict and Disaster Management Branch was present, alongside North Darfur’s State Minister of Environment, the Commissioner of El Fasher Locality, the Director of FNC North Darfur, and implementing partner Practical Action.

17 km of pastoralist migratory route have been demarcated between Goz Beina and Jaouf. 102 concrete poles were used to delineate the route, at a width of 150 m, and fixed at 500 m intervals. In addition, two siniyyas (resting/grazing areas) - one in Jigo-Jigo, with a circumference of 8 km, and another in Goz Beina, with a circumference of approximately 9 km, were demarcated. For the resting/grazing areas, concrete poles were fixed every 500 metres along the perimeter of the area and painted white to indicate to pastoralists that their animals can graze freely within the area, given the absence of farms nearby. The Commissioner of Dar El Salam Locality and the State Minister of Physical Planning visited the demarcated route. Both commended the work undertaken and highlighted the need for stronger policies and regulations to safeguard migratory routes.

Prior to the physical demarcation of the migratory route in the project area, several consultation meetings were held between the native administration and community leaders representing farmer and pastoralist communities to ensure that all involved were in agreement about the purpose of the migratory route, its location and the process of physical demarcation.

Wadi El Ku Catchment Management Forum operational34km of migratory route and grazing areas demarcated within the project area

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Government technical staff trained on data collection and analysis From 24 – 28 January 2016, a five-day training course was delivered on data collection and analysis, targeting state government technical staff in North Darfur. The objective of the course was to enhance staff capacity to design field-data collection methodology, define approaches for data collection, and analyze the resulting data. The training also focused on the practical application of Excel and SPSS as tools for data analysis. 12 participants from across government institutions took part in the training, which was conducted by the Center for Peace, Development Studies and Human Rights at the University of El Fasher.

Trainers included University of El Fasher, UNEP, and UNOCHA staff.

Above: Fixing a migratory route demarcation pole on the perimeter of the Goz Beina resting/grazing area’

Above: Group work during the Catchment Management Forum induction meeting in December

The Wadi El Ku Catchment Management Forum – which brings together government and community actors to coordinate, advocate, and advise on key water resource issues in the Wadi El Ku catchment – came into being in December 2015 after a three-day induction meeting. This meeting brought together the 48 primary and alternate members of the forum to raise awareness on the importance of Integrated Water Resource Management and to outline the roles and responsibilities of the forum going forward. The forum is envisaged as a permanent body that will work to improve water resource management in Wadi El Ku.

The induction meeting is the culmination of a year–long process, led by the Wadi El Ku Project Technical Committee, to define the forum’s mission, vision, roles and responsibilities, representation on the forum, criteria for member selection, and criteria by which the forum will measure its own success. Members of the forum represent government technical institutions, the legislative council, media, Farmers’ and Pastoralist Unions, CBOs and the CBO networks, Native Administration, landowners, and community representatives from within and from downstream of the project area.

FUNDED BY THE EUROPEAN UNION

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