Still More to do for the Environment in Sub-Saharan Africa

ACORD would like to observe the World Environment Day commemorated globally on the 5th of June each year. Coming to the fore is the issue of protection of the environment and reversing the negative effects of climate change.   (Photo, left: Food Security guaranteed through effective environmental conservation).

This is critical for the livelihoods of some of the most marginalised communities in Sub-Saharan Africa, particularly those in already precarious conditions in the Sahel and in Arid and Semi Arid areas.

In Northern Sudan, the environmental challenges are mainly as a result of recurring droughts and desertification which have led to an increase in environmental consciousness. The fact that environmental issues affect all aspects of life in the country is gaining acceptance.

Deforestation Threatening Future Livelihoods

The Northern Sudan Area Programme of the Agency for Cooperation and Research in Development (ACORD) also highlights environmental sustainability concerns in its 2008 annual report. The programme notes that the prolonged conflict and drought have had negative effects on environment. This has been manifested through removal of green cover for shelter construction, over-reliance on charcoal and wood cutting for income and domestic use and most importantly destroying traditional systems and norms that protect environment.

Other factors that affect environmental sustainability highlighted by ACORD include declined rates of rainfall, increased human settlement on accounts of green forests and massive and wild spread of mesquite trees. These deciduous trees are aggressive underground water consumers and deprive other plants of this valuable resource as well as interfering with the water table in their surrounding.

Effective Policies Needed for Better Response

Environmental sustainability is hampered by poor policy formulation and implementation by state government. Awareness and sensitivity to environmental issues is weak among the public and policy makers.

The Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) developed by the UN Environmental Programme (UNEP) shows that the basic environmental problems of Northern Sudan are related to the absence of an acceptable strategic land use plan. In addition, the growing conflicts in land use policies, the depletion of natural resources and the unchecked population growth also contribute to the growing threat.

The main environmental problems observed in the area include expansion in rain-fed and irrigated agriculture, absence of the environmental dimensions in policies, strategies, plans and programmes of management of resources, random development and lack of environmental evaluation before and after execution of projects. The Environmental Impact Assessment also highlights the negative effects on environment due to continued domination of subsistence way of living among local communities.

Other major challenges include geographical variability of rainfall for crop and livestock production, dependence on imported seeds and agricultural chemicals that increase cost of production, population distribution and rural-urban migration due to desertification and civil strife leading to deterioration of natural resources, indigenous knowledge and loss of local culture and dignity.

The energy crisis is aggravating desertification and affecting climate change, vast water resources are badly managed, environmental education has only been recently incorporated in school curricula and laws and legislation concerning the environment is not effective and law enforcement measures are not integrated. Dams across the Nile in Sudan have serious siltation problems due to high load transportation down from the Ethiopian Plateau as well as from degraded watersheds.

Building Local Capacities to Stem Environmental Degradation

ACORD in Northern Sudan has been working to raise awareness among internally displaced persons and refugees on practicing environment-friendly measures. The communities living in the camps have been helped to establish community nurseries. In addition, ACORD has distributed forest seedlings to promote reforestation and cover areas eroded by desertification as well as planting of green belts around IDP settlements.

ACORD acknowledges that environmental sustainability is a cross-cutting issue affecting all its programmes including conflict, HIV/AIDS, food security and gender. It is therefore crucial to acknowledge the value of environmental conservation and provide measures that safeguard available resources and prevent depletion.

Committed to integrate environmental concerns in all its work, ACORD is also an NGO officially accredited to the Governing Council and Global Ministerial Environment Forum of the UN Environment Programme and thus seeks to actively support its work.

You can get more information about ACORD’s work at www.acordinternational.org