SECOND Sudan Sustainable Natural Resources Management Project

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Sudan has five major ecological zones from north to south, namely desert, semi-desert, low-rainfall savanna, high-rainfall savanna, and mountain vegetation. The diverse ecological zones have allowed the country to support different food, cash, and industrial crops. In addition, Sudan has rich renewable natural capital comprising forests, rangelands, arable lands, water resources, wildlife and biodiversity. Forests and rangelands cover 35.6% of Sudan’s total area. These resources, along with the ecosystem and environmental services they provide, represent a major contribution to the national economy and local livelihoods. Sudan has a wide range of environmental legislation, but implementation is weak. Sudan was among the first African countries to formulate comprehensive environmental legislation. There are now more than 150 laws and regulations that govern the country’s environment and natural resources, covering key issues such as land tenure, rangelands, forests, water, and protected areas. Some aspects of these laws and regulations, i.e., related to institutional mandates and enforcement, are now out of date given the recent government transition and institutional changes. The Environment Protection Act (EPA) 2001 represents an ‘umbrella’ for many such laws. However, the enforcement and implementation of environmental and natural resources legislation has been very weak due to: (i) a lack of financial resources and equipment; (ii) insufficient technical capacities; (iii) weak institutional arrangements, including an overlapping and unclear set of mandates; (iv) lack of or weak land-use planning; (v) insufficient information and updated data; and (vi) weak community involvement. Furthermore, federal, state and local governments are overwhelmed by the scale and complexity of the challenges confronting sustainable environmental and natural resources management. The project follows the full re-engagement of Sudan with the World Bank. The proposed project directly supports and aligns with several objectives and cross-cutting themes of the World Bank’s Country Engagement Note (CEN) for Sudan (FY21-FY22). The CEN acknowledges that Sudan’s natural resources are crucial economic assets and as an agrarian economy, climate change poses significant impacts. It contributes to CEN-Focus Area 2: (contributing to a renewed social contract) particularly with regards to support for rural development and for building resilience (objectives 2.2 and 2.3 of the CEN). As the economy grows, and WB and development partners implement their re-engagement plans, there will be a pressing need to strengthen and expand the country’s capacity to manage environmental and social risks. The proposed project will support the Government of Sudan’s efforts to strengthen its institutional and organizational capacities for environmental management. The proposed project aims to scale-up geographical coverage of the SSNRMP by targeting five additional climate-vulnerable states namely, Red Sea, Sennar, Blue Nile, West Kordofan, and South Kordofan. Selection of specific project sites as well as tailoring of specific project activities will be carried out during project preparation. The SSNRMP2 will also continue providing institutional support in the ongoing SSNRMP phases across the eight states (Kassala, White Nile, Gezira, Northern State, River Nile, North Kordofan, Gedaref, and Khartoum).The project has three integrated components:Component 1: Strengthening the Institutional and Organizational Capacity for Environmental and Social Management System (Indicative: US$6 million): This component will enhance the functionality of key institutions involved in managing natural resources such as the Higher Council for Environment and Natural Resources (HCENR ) and Environment Councils at the State levels. This component will support the government to clearly define institutional mandates/divisions of responsibility, vertically between Federal and State Level entities, and horizontally between different sectoral agencies. Key activities under this component will include: (i) provision of investment packages for Environmental Councils at federal and state levels to enable them to undertake the full range of functions for which HCENR is responsible, including on environmental and social risk management and compliance, and environmental and natural resource sustainability. Packages will include (i) environmental and social monitoring equipment, vehicles, communications equipment, office equipment and office renovations; and (ii) technical assistance support for the developm ent and piloting of training packages for HCENR and state level Environment Council staff, with a focus on CBNRM, environmental and social risk management and compliance monitoring. Interventions under this component will improve the quality of environmental and social monitoring and enhance climate resilient natural resource management options. Component 2: Community-based Sustainable Management of Natural Resources and Biodiversity Conservation, and Sustainable Livelihoods (Indicative: US$38 million): This component will focus on soil and water management as well as biodiversity conservation activities through the gazetting of forest reserves; restoration of native vegetation by reforestation, enrichment planting, natural regeneration, sand dune stabilization, effective implementation of sustainable forest and rangeland management plans, and establishment and rehabilitation of water harvesting and storage facilities, thereby also providing climate change mitigation and adaptation benefits. Activities under this component will also include supporting biodiversity conservation and improving inclusive protected area management in selected states with a focus on biosphere reserves. The project, through this component, will carry out situational analysis and baseline study to inform community-based management planning, as well as support community-based assessment of potential areas for forest restoration. The component will scale-up successful and proven models for CBNRM developed and piloted under the SSNRMP and expand them into targeted areas across the additional 5 states. Specific areas of CBNRM’s activities would include: (i) collaborative forestry management, (ii) community soil and water conservation practices, (iii) participatory rangeland management (iv) participatory development and implementation of integrated land management plans, (v) community-based fishery and mangrove forest management, (vi) demonstration agro-forest practices through farmer field schools and (vi) development of SLWM extension support that suit local social and environmental contexts. The proposed CBNRM activities will be implemented through village development committees (VDCs). In targeted sites where there are existing VDCs, the project will work through them and support their development, and in areas where there are no VDCs, the project will support the establishment of new VDCs. Support to the VDCs will include training on business development, entrepreneurship, microfinance, craft skills, leadership, nursery techniques, as well as support the organization of communities in associations (cooperatives) around specific NRM livelihood initiatives. The component will also seek to invest in activities that generate green jobs based on activities linked to sustainable and climate resilient natural resource and environmental management, and from strengthening and building existing value chains for natural resource commodities and products. Such activities can encompass value addition through crop processing, bee keeping, establishment of nurseries, poultry production, sustainable fishing, wood and non-timber forest production, and community management of grazing areas and livestock corridors. This will also include introduction of improved stoves to reduce pressure on tree biomass. Furthermore, the established community nurseries will provide seed