Creating a new, green Darfur

We have all read about the terrible conflict and droughts which have affected the people of Darfur, Sudan. Now a new large-scale Practical Action project, called Greening Darfur, aims to help the people in rural areas of Darfur - not easy in a country where 25% of the population has been displaced.

The project has three main aims:

1. Improve water supply
This is a hot, dry part of Africa bordering the Sahara and water is scarce. The rainfall is less than 250mm a year - in the UK the average annual rainfall is about 920mm.

One of the first things we are doing is encouraging people to build agricultural terraces - these improve water retention and boost crop yields. To date we have helped construct 250 terraces in 10 villages.  More water has also been available from wells we've rehabilitated because they had dried out. To date we have helped to excavate and improve two wells which supply approximately 2000 people.

We are also handing out simple hand tools like picks, shovels, adzes and hoes. In war-ravaged Darfur even simple hand tools are expensive and hard to come by. To date we have handed out 250 sets of tools to 250 farming families. Alongside these tools 9,883 families have received seeds to improve their crop yields this summer.

2. Replanting local lands - literally "Greening Darfur"
Darfur is constantly at risk of being turned into a desert so we need to conserve the environment by reducing land degradation.

One of the first things we have done is to set up seedling nurseries. Just recently 104,000 seedlings were distributed to 24 community organisation through the El Fasher area. The seedlings chosen were varieties which reduce soil erosion, improve fertility and are drought resistant.

3. Creating local experts
One of the major objectives of the project is sustainability. We need to make sure the people of Darfur can sustain themselves and their communities.

That is why Practical Action is working in 33 villages educating local people about the work that they are doing so that they can sustain their own growth.

The training includes: how to protect forest resources, improved farming techniques, soil conservation and land use. And they are already making an impact. One trainee has helped vaccinate 150,000 cattle of his neighbouring herdsmen.

Although the project is in its early stages we are seeing huge improvements for the people of Darfur - bringing them the hopes of more stability in their lives.

Find out more about our work in Sudan:
 

Improved cooking stoves These simple clay stoves use one third of the amount of firewood as a traditional fire, saving time and reducing the risks to women gathering wood. Greening Darfur with dams We are helping to build dams that collect and store the rain that falls in Darfur’s brief rainy season, turning barren deserts into fertile farmland. Using sand and gravel to filter polluted water We are using Sudan’s sand to alleviate drought. Simple sand and gravel filters can protect traditional reservoirs from contamination and silting.

Ceramic fridges The zeer pot uses evaporation to keep food fresh in the heat of Sudan. One earthenware pot is set inside another, with a layer of wet sand in between. Donkey ploughs Working with local communities in Sudan, Practical Action has introduced a light, inexpensive metal plough that can be pulled by a donkey. Animal-drawn carts A simple donkey cart allows a Sudanese farmer to transport all his produce to market in one trip, saving packing costs and journey times.

Other stories in Small Talk:
Stove research in Madagascar | Preparing for floods in Nepal | Eco-toilets in Peru