WHY THIS PROJECT?
Investigating the effects of climate change and societal reactions in urban Khartoum
In order to face environmental threats, at the roots of growing inequalities, there is a scholarly need to better understand the proactive or reactive acts of resilience that urban communities develop themselves. Dealing with the Sustainable Development Goals 10, 11 and 13, this project also highlights the ways communities in a specific urban neighbourhood contribute to enhance a sustainable climate action and strengthen efforts to reduce inequalities.
On the longer term, this project aims to contribute to urban sustainable development and planning through producing policy recommendations on how to increase and enhance social cohesion in fragmented neighbourhoods affected by increasing and repeated environmental challenges and migration influxes. In order to ensure a societal relevance and greater impact on the ground, local communities and stakeholders will be key in developing community climate action and the formulation of policy recommendations.
The research team is implementing a variety of innovative methods and conducts an interdisciplinary Participatory Action Research (PAR) focused on two neighbourhoods in Greater Khartoum to study the effects of climate change and environmental issues in urban areas. The aim is to explore environmental challenges as well as the societal responses that are developed by the communities in Khartoum. The project seeks to (1) investigate the impact of environmental challenges on communities and (2) explore ways in which communities come together to identify shared challenges and devise climate action.
COLLABORATIONS
CEDEJ, Centre for Economic, Judicial, and Social Study and Documentation, Khartoum
Commission for Refugees, Khartoum
Community members of Tuti Island & Dar al Salam
Department of Sociology and Social Anthropology, Khartoum University
Institute of Environmental Studies, Khartoum University, Sudan
Practical Action SudanSudanese Environment Conservation Society (SECS)
Sudanese Environment Society, Students' organisations IES
Sudan Youth Organisation on Climate Change (SYOCC)
Sudanese Professionals Association (SPA)
Tuti Island Documentation CentreUrban Planning, Khartoum University
STORY MAP
Through the ArcGIS storytelling platform developed by ESRI, which is currently used widely as an effective mode of communicating a number of social and developmental issues, the research team has created an introductory story map as well as four sub-story maps to visualise and analyse the spatial and temporal dimensions of resilience, social cohesion and climate change in urban areas of Greater Khartoum between 2019 and 2022.
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You can click on the introductory story map link below, which is the starting hub to navigate four sub-story maps, combining immersive stories, interactive maps, and other multimedia content.
FAISIBILITY
The output and results of this study will contribute to promote mechanism and solutions for effective climate change related management. The involvement of the Institute of environmental Studies (IES) at the University of Khartoum (UoK), headed by Professor Muna Ahmed, is crucial in the implementation of this study, not only due to the expertise that their staff bring to the project but also through their longstanding experience and network in the field of climate change at both national and international levels. Dr. Sumaya Zakieldeen, Senior Lead Researcher of the RUS project, has been active in the programmes of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) hosted in Sudan by the Higher Council for Environment and Natural Resources where she represents the UoK. She has also been closely involved in developing strategies for resilience towards climate change in Sudan.
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A short note on the political context in Sudan
In January 2019 Sudan saw many street protests against the then government under the leadership of ex-president Omar el Bashir. After months of continuous street protests and some violent clashes, the popular uprising led to a change of government and disposition of the then-president. A transitional government was installed in April 2019. This political context delayed the implementation of the RUS project out of concern for security.Â
However, when it was assessed that the situation would not escalate, the RUS project was implemented albeit somewhat delayed. The current transitional government consists of military and civilian representatives. The government transition in Sudan is envisaged to be of a duration of two years until a civil government will permanently take over. In this context, the RUS project is implemented.