Khartoum,
4 July 2011 – Political commitment, donor
interest and increased awareness of the
need to manage Darfur's scarce water resources
sustainably were among the key outcomes
of a two-day international conference organized
by the Sudanese Government and its international
partners in Khartoum last week.
Central to the event
was the launch of a US$1 billion global
appeal for 65 inter-related water projects
over the next 6 years to meet the rapidly
increasing demand for water across Darfur
and in doing so, tackle one of the key factors
contributing to local-level conflict in
the region.
Major pledges made at
the conference include a US$100 million
commitment from the Arab League and a contribution
of US$216 million from the Government of
Sudan, with expressions of interest from
Turkey, Japan and the United States of America.
Some 500 Sudanese and
international water and development experts,
Sudanese state and federal officials, and
representatives from international organizations
and donor countries participated in the
event, which was sponsored by the Sudanese
Government, UN agencies in Sudan – including
the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) – and
the UN and African Union Mission in Darfur
(UNAMID).
The goal of the event
was to establish an integrated framework
to provide sufficient and equitable water
for all users in Darfur, in order to meet
their survival, livelihood and environmental
protection needs, and advance peace in the
region.
"For UNEP, a major
outcome of the conference is the greater
recognition that a balance needs to be struck
between water supply and managing existing
resources in a sustainable manner,"
said Robin Bovey, UNEP's Sudan Programme
Manager.
In the last few years,
population growth and massive urbanization
have compounded water availability problems
in an environment already marked by surface
water scarcity and high variability of rainfall.
With over 50% of the
population now living in and around major
towns in Darfur, groundwater tables in many
urban areas and IDP camps have dropped dramatically
– some up to 10 metres. Climate change is
also of particular concern in marginal areas
such as Northern Darfur, where 16 of the
20 driest years on record have been recorded
since 1972.
To support economic
development and stability in Darfur, "major
investment is needed to improve surface
water management – for example the construction
of rainwater harvesting infrastructure and
small dams" Bovey said.
"This needs to
be matched with effective catchment management,
in order to support Darfur's agriculture
and pastoralism sectors, which are the foundation
of the region's economy".
Water resource management is one of the
largest components of UNEP's programme in
Sudan.
