Restoration of the Environment around Rural Communities in Darfur – Sudan

As a result of the ongoing civil war, villages have been receiving a continuous influx of internally displaced people fleeing the conflict and insecurity in their home areas. This has intensified the pressure on the already fragile environment around the villages. It has resulted in excessive cutting of trees to clear land for agriculture and settlement and to provide fodder and fuelwood and this in turn has contributed to increased desertification. Livestock farming and agricultural production and families’ income levels have all been negatively affected by these factors. Increased desertification is evidenced in the disappearance of indigenous species such as acacia Senegal and Ziziphus spina christi, on which communities depend for fuelwood, fodder, medicinal requirements.

To combat this our partner Kids for Kids is working with communities to assist them to conserve and restore the environment by introducing activities which prevent land degradation and regenerate the vegetation cover whilst enhancing the livelihoods of the villagers through access to forest products.

The project components include the production of tree seedlings, the planting of 4.4 hectares of community forests and the provision of seedlings to families; training of village extension agents to guide the communities; training of communities in forest management and the provision of water carts to ensure that the seedlings can be watered readily.