Khartoum – A report published by the United Nations Environment Programme detailing the development of water management and river basin organizations around the world aims to support ongoing wadi catchment management efforts in Sudan in general and in Darfur in particular. The report discusses the global shift towards managing river basins in their entirety with an emphasis on the role of water users in decision-making.
In Sudan supporting the development of holistic approaches to water management contributes to priorities in increasing agricultural production and in reducing risks of conflict over natural resources. The availability of reliable water resources is a limiting factor on agricultural production in dry land areas. Therefore, enhancing sustainable water management is an important contribution to sustained and inclusive economic growth.
The report, published by the United Nations Environment Program and written by UNESCO’s Institute for Water Education, examines the various forms of river basin organizations that have emerged in different contexts and countries, which have different functions and legal arrangements. The aim of the report is to discuss these organizations in a way that informs emerging approaches to water management in Sudan.
In some places in Sudan, such as Darfur, conflict has weakened both traditional and formal governance of natural resources. This report discusses ways in which decision-makers and experts can bring back the sustainable management of water resources in Darfur. For example, a UNEP North Darfur project, in Wadi El Ku, is one of a number of catchment-based projects exploring and developing Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM) implementation in the Sudanese context.
Since 2010, a number of consultative exchange programs have been running between South Africa and Sudan to share experiences on IWRM. In the shift to democracy, IWRM has played a crucial role in the transition of the water sector in South Africa – placing an emphasis on sustainable and equitable access to water that resonated well with the new South African constitution.
- For the new report “Towards Integrated Water Resources Management”, go here.
- For more information on the collaboration with South Africa, go here.
- For information on the Wadi El Ku project, go here.
Notes: The release of this report follows the publication of two flagship UNEP reports that aim to support Sudanese environmental and natural resource management policy in the wake of the 2011 Doha Document for Peace in Darfur (DDPD), the framework document for the peace process in Darfur:
The two remaining reports in the series will be published and translated to Arabic in 2014.
