The Green Climate Fund approved USD25.5 million in new funding for an innovative climate resilience project in Sudan, designed to promote agriculture, health, and food and water security.
"Addressing the impact of climate change is a collective responsibility. We as a Government recognize this global responsibility and are committed to protecting the people of Sudan from the risks we are currently facing,” said Sudan’s Prime Minister Dr. Abdalla Hamdok.
“Left unchecked, climate change will derail our nation’s efforts to end poverty and conflict across the country,” Hamdok added.
Crop failures, the death of livestock, drought and other climate-related impacts are deepening poverty and reducing the capacity of people, communities, and authorities to deal with other interconnected risks, such as COVID-19 and conflict.
The five-year project will provide delivering training and equipment, rehabilitate land for sustainable use, introduce new climate-resilient practices, and construct infrastructure such as wells, dams, and water storage.
“This project will improve health, food, and water security for 3.7 million people in Sudan, safeguarding them against the worsening, life-threatening impacts of a changing climate,” said UNDP Resident Representative Selva Ramachandran.
“At the same time, together we will ensure institutional and community capacity is improved, vulnerable groups like women and youth receive targeted support, and Sudan’s natural resources are protected,” Ramachandran added.
Professor Rashid Hassan, secretary-general of the Higher Council for Environment and Natural Resources, said: “We are proud to launch this project, supporting the Sustainable Development Goals and Sudan’s Nationally Determined Contribution to the Paris Agreement.”
Hassan added, “The people and areas receiving support, and the needs being addressed, were identified after a comprehensive consultation process involving Federal and State authorities, communities, NGOs, the private sector, research institutions, and relevant unions.”
In protecting life on land, the project will establish communal reserves used for grazing, rehabilitate 4,500 hectares of rangelands, and introduce sustainable livestock, agroforestry, and land-management practices.
Under the project, approximately 211,000 households will benefit from enhanced food production. This will include the introduction of climate-resilient seeds, training on the use and management of water resources, and the introduction of women’s farms and home gardens.
The project leverages USD15 million in co-finance from Sudan’s Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Natural Resources, and a USD540,000 grant from the United Nations Development Program (UNDP).
UNDP’s support for the initiative is part of its efforts to drive a new ‘Green Deal’ in Sudan, ensuring climate protection and mitigation, including the introduction of renewable energy in agriculture, health and rural communities, and reducing reliance on fossil fuels.
Part of the new GCF grant will support sustainable and clean water access for drinking, livestock, and irrigation, reaching 200,000 households, in areas facing severe climate and weather change challenges, like this existing UNDP project in North Darfur.
