Practical Action wins global award for work in Darfur

Practical Action in partnership with UN Environment has won this year’s Land for Life Award for a project which transforms huge swathes of desert into farmland in one of the most challenging environments on Earth.

The work in North Darfur, Sudan helps hundreds of farmers improve food security and their resilience to floods and drought by rebuilding old dams, improved irrigation and better farming techniques.

Funded by the European Union, and partnering with local communities, UN Environment and the state government, the project is helping to restore the environment and improve the efficiency of water use for both farmers and pastoralists in and around a stretch of the largest seasonal rivers in North Darfur – the Wadi El Ku.

The project’s many activities in Wadi El Ku include establishing five community forests, irrigating 315 hectares of land, rehabilitating existing water retention structures, reseeding 1,214 hectares of rangeland and setting up a water management committee.

Severe environmental degradation and changing rainfall patterns have seen more frequent droughts and flash floods in Darfur. With less water, crop yields have fallen and farmers have had to cultivate more and more land to feed their families. This puts them in conflict with pastoralists, who also need the land for cattle grazing.

Ali Ibrahim, a farmer and one of thousands of people who have benefitted from the project said: “It’s very hard for people because production has disappeared [and] droughts have had a major impact.”

Awadalla Hamid, Practical Action’s Environmental Conservation Manager said: “It’s wonderful news for us and all our partners.

“Ecosystem-based approaches to disaster risk reduction are very effective for bringing together communities and state institutions as partners to build local resilience. With support from Practical Action, UN Environment and the European Union, it’s the successful collaboration between all partners that contributed to having won this award”

To build on this success in Wadi El Ku, which has reduced community tensions and left local people with a more reliable food supply and better able to cope with disasters, UN Environment and the Government of Sudan are now advocating for the use of ecosystem-based approaches in other parts of the country.

Sudan's Minister of Environment, his Excellency Dr. Hassan Abdul-Gadir Hilal, expressed his congratulations: “I strongly believe that UN Environment and partners are deserving of this distinguished international award.”

“I’m immensely proud of the work UN Environment is doing to help improve people’s lives in North Darfur and around the world,” said Erik Solheim, head of UN Environment. “Winning this award proves that by working together in effective partnerships and hand in hand with communities themselves, we can make positive and lasting change, even in some of the most difficult situations.”

ABOUT THE AWARD

The UN Convention to Combat Desertification’s Land for Life Award identifies and honors individuals or organizations who showcase effective and creative sustainable land management practices. This year’s theme of “Land and Human Security" pays tribute to work contributing to stability and security. The winners were announced in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, where the global event for the 2017 World Day to Combat Desertification is being held.

More information

Discover more about the winning project in this case study or video.

Find out about Practical Action’s work in Sudan at practicalaction.org/sudan.