Back
Blue Nile, Sudan
2021 - 2024
Short description
This project aims to support and engender the peace process in Blue Nile state by enhancing climate resilient livelihoods options for women, youth, and other marginalized groups, improving the local governance of natural resources by ensuring the full and equal representation of women, and strengthening the local conflict resolution mechanisms that underpin the development prospects of all groups. Building on the lessons learned from a pilot conducted by the Joint UN Programme for Women, Natural Resources, Climate and Peace in North Kordofan, the project will promote the empowerment of women change agents, capitalizing on their important roles as natural resource managers and the increased economic and care burdens women face in the post− conflict context.
Main purpose
Biodiversity conservation / restoration,
Land restoration for increased soil fertility / reversal of land degradation,
Water harvesting / storage / irrigation,
Climate adaptation / resilience,
Increasing agricultural productivity / crop and cattle protection,
Increased stocks for fishing and hunting,
Food security,
Provision / protection / diversification of employment and livelihoods / poverty reduction, Land tenure equality and security,
Reducing competition for natural resources,
Reduced illegal resource exploitation / poaching,
Increasing community cohesion / community building,
Gender equality,
Entry point for dialogue and mediation between conflicting groups,
Effective conflict mediation and resolution mechanism,
Trust building between conflicting groups
Other expected benefits
Pollution control / remediation (air, soil, water),
Improved market / trade / prices of natural resources
Conflict context
The conflict between the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement- North (SPLM−N) and the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) − which has been cause of population displacement, environmental exploitation, and extreme poverty − constitutes a political crisis with severe consequences for other longstanding tensions centered on access to and control of natural resources, including land, water and extractive resource sites. These include conflicts over poor management of land distribution and compensation linked to the resettlement of refugees and the return of populations who had been displaced by war. During field consultations in Baw and Al Kurmuk localities, for instance, some community members reported that land which was abandoned or became inaccessible due to insecurity during war has now been cultivated by others, fueling disputes over land borders between farmers. Conflicts also occur between farmers and herders over farming/grazing land and migratory routes when farms expand into transit routes or grazing areas or when animals cross through agricultural lands. Communities report that the combination of the expansion of large− scale agricultural schemes and environmental degradation have led to a scarcity of available land for grazing and small−scale agriculture. Finally, conflicts between communities and the government or private companies sparked by displacement of local communities to make space for large mining companies or land reform projects are occurring as the war has weakened environmental oversight and good governance.
Peace and security contributions
Several peace-building committees have been created, including men, women, and youth. These committees have solved 18 resource-related disputes in their local communities. These structures are now entry points for communities as pathways for women inclusion in local decision-making bodies. The project also successfully leveraged women’s roles as natural resource managers as an entry point to enhance their influence. The two-dimensional mapping for natural resources management and decision making helped the communities to talk and listen and facilitated conflict mediation and conflict resolution.
Reported elements of good practice
The project assisted in promoting transformative change for gender equality, through the establishment of committees which promoted the rights and inclusion of women in local decision-making bodies governing natural resources management and conflict resolution at community level through mediation and negotiation skills traning, defeating stereotypes, while contributing to improving women’s self-confidence and inclusion.
Working with local academia made the data collection process easier and saved time. Localization, ownership and building capacity of local institutions for sustainability is fundamental.
Reported challenges
- Financial (access to cash and inflation) and logistical challenges are valid due to the impact of the war in Khartoum.
- Some implementing partners’ personnel were relocated to other cities.
- Access to the field is easy for Baw, difficult for Geissan and not possible for Kurmuk due to the rainy season.
Practical details of implementation
- The project’s community-based approach is centered around building on community ownership across the location where it is implemented.
- The project aims to build on and support existing local structures, including local natural resource management and governance structures, as well as conflict resolution or peacebuilding mechanisms, with the aim of mainstreaming gender considerations and accelerating the meaningful participation of women at all levels of decision−making, to live on beyond the project’s lifespan.
- As gender equality is a primary objective of the project, the field consultations included a specific focus on understanding the barriers and opportunities associated with women’s empowerment through focus groups.
Method of monitoring environmental and peace impacts
The project will apply lessons learned and good practices developed through the Joint Programme for Women, Natural Resources, Climate and Peace pilot initiative in North Kordofan, Sudan to monitor and measure progress towards the stated objectives and evaluate the project’s impact. The project will employ a mix of quantitative and qualitative methods – including household surveys, focus group discussions, key informant interviews, and perception surveys – to collect data against a set of “hard” and “soft” indicators, measuring changes in livelihood security or agricultural productivity; perceptions related to gender, peace, and security; trust between/among groups; language in law, policies and plans; access to information of different groups; access to/control over resources etc.
