Our Intervention

Sudan comprises fragile ecosystems, and is extremely vulnerable to the impacts of climate change. Its agro-ecological zones offer the potential to produce a range of crops, as well as livestock. Yet production is consistently quite low due to the vulnerability of rain-fed agriculture to rainfall variability and prolonged drought. Over 80% of Sudanese population’s livelihoods of which 36.1% (Central Bureau of Statistics -CBS, 2017) live below poverty line, depend on agriculture and livestock which account for about 31. 7% of GDP in 2017 (CBS). The two sectors are dominated by small- scale farmers who employ largely rain-fed and traditional practices – which renders Sudan highly vulnerable to climate variability and to anticipated climate change. In addition to increasing impacts of climate change, the exposure to other non-climatic factors - complex disasters, community based conflicts over access to natural resources, limited access to capital, markets, infrastructure and technology exacerbates the degradation of natural resources. Lack of access to electricity and clean energy services is another poverty driver. A 2016 UNDP study on commodities concluded that the main challenges to developing inclusive value chains are climate change and lack of access to affordable energy.

Read more about our work on climate and environment protection in Sudan with the Green Climate Fund (click here for the Arabic version).

Building on the achievements from last programme cycle, UNDP Sudan approach to sustainable livelihoods in 2018 -2021, is based on solutions that are designed and implemented addressing problems of capacities, climate change, efficient energy use, policies, systems and regulatory frameworks related to poverty reduction and sustainable resource management at national, state and local levels. These solutions will support sustainable, inclusive economic growth as well as natural resource management reducing multi-dimensional poverty, inequity and gender equality. The basis on which the poverty-environment linkage is built and the solutions offered by UNDP are extremely essential for enhancing productive capacities, increasing access to modern energy and basic services, sustaining natural resource management and effective adaptation to climate change and disaster risk management.