Sudan: Derma

UN Environment in Sudan and partners organize the “Derma Conference” to help facilitate dialogue over shared natural resources to promote equitable use and management. The people of Derma in the northernmost stretch of the Wadi El Ku project area, near the capital, El Fasher town, were displaced due to conflict. Displaced farmers abandoned their natural resources, losing their means of making a living. Village markets, where cereals and produce would normally be found, were deserted and trade suffered. This put a strain on pastoralist communities living as well. Initially, partners implementing the Wadi el Ku project could also not access the area due to heightened tension and insecurity in the area and as the status quo dragged on, both pastoralist and farmer livelihoods continued to suffer. Both farmers and pastoralists felt the impact of the situation on their livelihoods, and reached the conclusion that they needed to find a way to resolve their differences before everything is lost. They acknowledged that part of this means coming together to talk through their issues and reach out to the Wadi El Ku project partners to help them do this. The Wadi El Ku Catchment Management Project is funded by the European Union.