The highly successful first phase of the EU-funded Wadi El Ku Catchment Management project has been closed in festive spirit at a workshop in El Fasher - the capital of North Darfur, Sudan.

After engaging communities throughout the design and implementation process, this project achieved remarkable feats. It touched people’s lives both through the increasing yields and livelihood opportunities made possible through better water resource management.

By developing inclusive natural resource management systems – such as through community-level agriculture, as well as building institutional and organizational capacity - local relationships over these resources have improved. In doing so, the livelihoods of conflict-affected communities have also improved. The project targeted around 81,000 beneficiaries in 34 communities in the northern section of the seasonal waterbody known as a wadi.

Perhaps most importantly, this has built trust between communities and ensured that they feel a strong sense of ownership. This lays a strong foundation for managing the resources sustainably well into the future.

Around 200 people were present at the project’s closing event on 14-15 March. This included communities from the villages that have benefited, technical government representatives, ministers, commissioners, legislators, universities and research bodies. Guests from eight other Sudanese states also attended in order to learn from the project.

In the end, UN Environment did very little talking and let communities, government and NGO partners get up onto the podium to tell ministers and decision-makers, as well as guests from elsewhere in Sudan, about the journey over the last four years.

They spoke about integrated water resource management and about what’s possible in environmental conservation and in terms of forging positive relationships around natural resources in spite of a difficult working environment.

Ministries from across sectors now showcase the project as a success story and a model for others to replicate. This project symbolises exemplary UN Environment work and, through its funding, the great contribution that the European Union can make to people’s lives in Darfur.

Follow UN Environment’s work in Sudan by clicking here. For more information contact sophie.brown@unep.org.