Community Based Adaptation in Africa (CBAA), the Case of Sudan

By:

Sumaya Ahmed Zakieldeen

Community Based Adaptation in Africa (CBAA) is a

regional non-government project involving eight African

countries (Kenya, Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda, Malawi, South

Africa, Zambia and Zimbabwe).

CBAA objective is to help vulnerable communities to

adapt to climate change and share lessons learned from

project activities with key stakeholders at local, national,

regional and international levels to elicit their support for

climate change adaptation.

The CBAA is implemented by the Sudanese Environment

Conservation Society in partnership with other NGOs

(Practical Action/Aydy Al-Nil

)

Methodology

The CBAA is using a methodology that combine both Top-

down and bottom-up approaches.

Vulnerability assessment is an integral part of the

methodology, to help select priority communities for the

implementation of CBAA projects.

The assessment takes into account a number of elements,

including poverty, climatic factors, hazards and extreme events.

The CBAA is working towards development of methodology

for community based adaptation

Vulnerable States in the country

The vulnerability assessment (top-down approach)

identified number of states as highly vulnerable to climate

change these were:

Northern Kordofan

Khartoum

Kassala

Gedaref and

Red Sea

Project Site

Climatic factors

Over the past decades, livelihoods have been

affected by:

frequent drought cycles

extreme fluctuations in rainfall

Floods (torrential rains, seasonal streams)

SUDAN NORMAL RAINFALL IN MM FOR THE PERIOD 1941-1970 COMPARED

TO 1971-2000

ABH

ABN

AQQ

ARB

ARM

ATB

BAR

BNS

DMZ

DNG

DUM

NSR

FSH

GDF

GEN

HAL

HAS

HDB

HLG

JUB

KDG

KHA

KHW

KRM

KSL

KST

KUR

MLK

NHD

NYL

OBD

PSD

RAG

RNKRSH

SNR

SHW

SHM

SHN

TKR

TOR

UMB

WAU

WHF

WMD

NAG

PIB

MARYEI

YAM

KAP

22.00 24.00 26.00 28.00 30.00 32.00 34.00 36.00 38.00

4.00

6.00

8.00

10.00

12.00

14.00

16.00

18.00

20.00

22.00

500

mm

200

mm

Meteorological

Authority 2008

SUDAN RAINFALL COEFFICIENT OF VARIABILITY

IN PERCENTAGE FOR THE PERIOD (1971-2000)

ABH

ABN

AQQ

ARB

ARM

ATB

BAR

BNS

DMZ

DNG

DUM

NSR

FSH

GDF

GEN

HAL

HAS

HDB

HLG

JUB

KDG

KHA

KHW

KRM

KSL

KST

KUR

MLK

NHD

NYL

OBD

PSD

RAG

RNKRSH

SNR

SHW

SHM

SHN

TKR

TOR

UMB

WAU

WHF

WMD

NAG

MAR

PIB

8.00YAM

KAP

22.00 24.00 26.00 28.00 30.00 32.00 34.00 36.00 38.00

4.00

6.00

8.00

10.00

12.00

14.00

16.00

18.00

20.00

22.00

Source:

NAPA 2007

None-climatic Factors

Poverty

High illiteracy rate (70%)

Mismanagement of natural resources (Over cultivation, over-

grazing, deforestation etc.)

Lack of income diversity

Lack of agricultural inputs (Seeds, machinery, finance etc)

Certain policies/regulations act as impediment to AC

Conflict over resources (particularly between farmers and

herders)

Fires

Others

Makahaya Village

The community practise traditional rain-fed

agriculture, they cultivate the following:

Different varieties of sorghum

Ground nuts

Sesame

Hibiscus sp. (Karkadey)

Vegetables (Tomatoes, melons, cucumber, okra etc.)

- They keep few animals (mainly goats and donkeys

(very important for carrying water).

The analysis at village level involved:

Socio-economic analysis

Existing institutions and services

Indigenous knowledge for coping with climate change

Power Linkages (policy relationships from village to state

governor)

Stakeholder and Community participation

Individual Interviews

Visits and Surveys

Focus Group discussion

Participatory Rural Appraisal

Interaction with local institutions

Participatory Rural Appraisal (bottom-up)

Participatory Rural Appraisal

Combination of methods

were used to enable the

village community to share,

enhance and analyse their

knowledge of their life and

conditions as well as to plan

and act.

Con..

The stakeholders were

able to identify climate

change vulnerabilities

They were able

together to identify and

plan for suitable

adaptation options

Community became the

analysers and we

became the facilitators

Con..

PRA Analysis of:

water resources,

vegetation cover

and agricultural for the

period between 1940

and 2010

Vulnerability

Sectors that are extremely vulnerable:

Water sector

Agriculture

Energy

Water Sector

Decrease of amount of rainfall

and high variability of its

distribution caused:

Severe Shortage and lack of

drinking water particularly

during dry season

High cost (time and money)

Water-born diseases

Con..

Agriculture

Fluctuation/reduction of production

Deterioration of rangelands/loss of

animals

Lack of food security

Cut of trees for charcoal production

(however for subsistence)

Migration to nearby towns and to

agricultural schemes

People were forced to adopt

unfavourable seasonal activities

Energy

Vegetation cover

deteriorated very much due

to both climatic and none-

climatic factors

Women spend 3-4 hrs daily

in collection of firewood

from remote places

Situation is getting worse

and worse worries about

near future

Identified Adaptation Options;

Water harvesting for drinking (additional Hafier and

rehabilitation of existing ones)

Agriculture

Water harvesting (terraces)

Improvement of local indigenous knowledge of early

seeding (locally know as Remeel)

Introduction of drought resistant /early maturing

varieties (okra, millet, sorghum etc.)

Con..

Production of winter crops such as vegetables (Egg plants,

water melon, tomatoes, cucumber), at the end of the

rainy season in the course of one of Abu -Habel

tributaries

Energy

Introduction of petroleum liquid gas and improved stoves

Income increasing options

Expansion of Karkady production (cash crop)

Introduction sheep fattening for women for

increasing family income/production of , meat,

milk and butter

Improvement of marketing

other

Capacity Building

Certain areas that require specific capacity building were

identified

- Water harvesting

- winter cropping

- improved stoves building

- financial training for rotating small grants

- other

- Establishment of a new committee in the community

- Fund raising for implementation of identified adaptation

activities

Consultations with relevant institutions, NGOs

and Programmes

Eco-peace project

Forest National Cooperation

Administration of agriculture, natural resources and

animal wealth

Practical Action/Aydy Al-Nil

Sudanese Meteorological Society

Others