environmental degradation as a cause of conflict in - Steiner Graphics
environmental degradation as a cause of conflict in - Steiner Graphics environmental degradation as a cause of conflict in - Steiner Graphics
Phase Two:This phase was a monitoring of the physical factors and non-physical componentsof the area.It is essentially based on phase one to study the indicators selected therein.Data for this second phase was mainly collected through field research conductedby scholars with different academic background (climatology, meteorology,geology, ecology, socio-economic, hydrology, rural development, demography, geography,sociology and economics).Data collected through this phase was analyzed and assessed by the differentfield investigators.Together with phase one this phase presented the main features of change andtransformation, as a step in measuring the magnitude of environmental degradationwith the aim of formulating future plans to restore the situation in the area.These two phases were in no way contradictory, but rather complementary to eachother, reflecting the situation in the past, the changes taking place at the time ofstudy (mid-eighties) and the transformational potentialities and possibilities of thefuture.Phase Three:It was mainly concerned with the organisation and conducting of a regional seminarat Umm Kaddada town, the centre of the area under study.The idea was to disseminate the knowledge gained through the previous phasesamong the local inhabitants.The meeting of specialists from different academic disciplines at central and regionallevel together with the people actually affected within the area is intendedto add new scientific perspectives to the investigation of degraded and desertifiedareas. The results of this phase were mainly composed of the proceedings of theseminar and a proposal formulated by the participants for the future developmentof the area. It is worth mentioning here that each part of this research project wasprimarily a separate operation with its own approach, methodology, results andconclusions.The research project was a joint effort between the Institute of the EnvironmentalStudies (IES) of the University of Khartoum and Clark University of the USA. Itwas prepared for the US Agency for International Development (USAID). It was partof the E.T.M.A. Program in the Sudan. It covers one of the eight areas selected forresource inventory and monitoring research in the country.Reasons for interest in the study area were, among others, summarised as follows:48
• Remoteness of the area from the centre of development in Eastern Sudan.• Harsh environmental conditions of the area.• Political and socio-economic neglect of the area by the central and regionalgovernments.• Uniqueness of its historical, cultural, economic and political backgrounds.• Overwhelming nature of rapid change, particularly in the last few decades(impact on the natural resources and population dynamics).The findings of the first phase revealed the following:• Umm Kaddada area was continuously declining in importance, as far as itsprevious functional locations as a communications, trading and administrativecentre was concerned.Accordingly, the previous sedentary zone with its centre at Umm Kaddada was foundto be shifting southward. Reasons for this shift could be summarized as follows:• The decision of the British Administration, as early as 1930, to reduce UmmKaddada to a sub-division of a central district administered from al-Fashir,must have had a bearing on its socio-economic development.• The shifting of the transport route southward i.e. the previous transportroute, passing through Umm Kaddada area from east to west shifted to thesouth, due to the declining importance of Umm Kaddada and the favourableenvironmental conditions in Southern Darfur.• As a result of the shift of the transport route some settlements like Nyalaand al-Da’ayn replaced Umm Kaddada as transport centres; the latter hasbeen gradually pushed into a backwater.• Another outcome of that shift was the trend towards out-migration from thearea as one response of the population to the recent changes.• Paradoxically, the movement of the people started at a time when waterbecame available, thus the hypothesis that water availability as a key factorfor development proved to be invalid in the case of Umm Kaddada.• Having discovered all these factors, we attempted to use these findings asa basis for a feasibility study and to use the indicators picked out throughthis phase of study, namely— deterioration of environmental conditions,expressed in terms of climatic fluctuation; degradation of soil; removal ofvegetation cover and enhanced desertification process; reduction in grainproduction, changing social organisation of the Berti tribe, adoption of neweconomic activities, availability of underground water and lack of surfacewater; recent developments in Southern Darfur and the shift of transport49
- Page 1: ENVIRONMENTAL DEGRADATIONAS A CAUSE
- Page 4 and 5: Cover Photo:AU forces patrol Darfur
- Page 7 and 8: PREFACEThese essays were originally
- Page 9 and 10: AcknowledgementsThe conference was
- Page 11 and 12: Executive SummaryByMary E. King and
- Page 13 and 14: the theme of the conference, outlin
- Page 15 and 16: • The question of warrior culture
- Page 17 and 18: Deryke Belshaw, University of East
- Page 19 and 20: area in West Darfur of 1.5m feddans
- Page 21 and 22: on the interaction between conflict
- Page 23 and 24: Conflict In DarfurHistorical andCon
- Page 25 and 26: distributive centre and where the r
- Page 28 and 29: sues quite separate. Evidence for t
- Page 30 and 31: FOOTNOTES1It is not my purpose here
- Page 32 and 33: 20On other emerging ethnically-base
- Page 34 and 35: IntroductionTHE Greater Darfur regi
- Page 36 and 37: 2. Agriculture (Farming)Crop farmin
- Page 38 and 39: Secondly, the demand for mutton and
- Page 40 and 41: groundnut and sesame as sources of
- Page 42 and 43: The situation of drinking water in
- Page 44 and 45: ReferencesConference, Meleet, North
- Page 46 and 47: IntroductionTHE residents of the Um
- Page 50 and 51: zone southward — and to use these
- Page 52 and 53: • Some water points in places lik
- Page 54 and 55: This study and the seminar organize
- Page 57 and 58: Land Tenure,Land Use andConflicts i
- Page 59 and 60: tain innovations called hakura (pl.
- Page 61 and 62: mands for food production. All thes
- Page 63 and 64: Hashab Tenure SystemHashab ownershi
- Page 65 and 66: co-exist at the local level where e
- Page 67 and 68: IndigenousInstitutions andPractices
- Page 69 and 70: abs. In the past they had been invo
- Page 71 and 72: Sufi OrderSufi orders are religious
- Page 73 and 74: Native Administration, i.e. Tribal
- Page 75 and 76: Rizayqat homeland is at the extreme
- Page 77 and 78: esearchers and statesmen. A bigger
- Page 79: ReferencesBakheit, Jaafar M.Ali. 19
- Page 82 and 83: IntroductionWHILE in the Sudan prot
- Page 84 and 85: ReferencesHarir, S. 1993. ‘Arab B
- Page 86 and 87: IntroductionTHE Darfur Region lies
- Page 88 and 89: Table (1)Water program for Darfur 2
- Page 90 and 91: anging from 150mm the north and 450
- Page 92 and 93: ReferencesIbrahim, Abdel Rahman Abb
- Page 94 and 95: CONCLUSIONTHE collection of papers
- Page 96 and 97: GLOSSARYAjawidArdaBaqqaraDarDukhnFa
Ph<strong>as</strong>e Two:This ph<strong>as</strong>e w<strong>as</strong> a monitor<strong>in</strong>g <strong>of</strong> the physical factors and non-physical components<strong>of</strong> the area.It is essentially b<strong>as</strong>ed on ph<strong>as</strong>e one to study the <strong>in</strong>dicators selected there<strong>in</strong>.Data for this second ph<strong>as</strong>e w<strong>as</strong> ma<strong>in</strong>ly collected through field research conductedby scholars with different academic background (climatology, meteorology,geology, ecology, socio-economic, hydrology, rural development, demography, geography,sociology and economics).Data collected through this ph<strong>as</strong>e w<strong>as</strong> analyzed and <strong>as</strong>sessed by the differentfield <strong>in</strong>vestigators.Together with ph<strong>as</strong>e one this ph<strong>as</strong>e presented the ma<strong>in</strong> features <strong>of</strong> change andtransformation, <strong>as</strong> a step <strong>in</strong> me<strong>as</strong>ur<strong>in</strong>g the magnitude <strong>of</strong> <strong>environmental</strong> <strong>degradation</strong>with the aim <strong>of</strong> formulat<strong>in</strong>g future plans to restore the situation <strong>in</strong> the area.These two ph<strong>as</strong>es were <strong>in</strong> no way contradictory, but rather complementary to eachother, reflect<strong>in</strong>g the situation <strong>in</strong> the p<strong>as</strong>t, the changes tak<strong>in</strong>g place at the time <strong>of</strong>study (mid-eighties) and the transformational potentialities and possibilities <strong>of</strong> thefuture.Ph<strong>as</strong>e Three:It w<strong>as</strong> ma<strong>in</strong>ly concerned with the organisation and conduct<strong>in</strong>g <strong>of</strong> a regional sem<strong>in</strong>arat Umm Kaddada town, the centre <strong>of</strong> the area under study.The idea w<strong>as</strong> to dissem<strong>in</strong>ate the knowledge ga<strong>in</strong>ed through the previous ph<strong>as</strong>esamong the local <strong>in</strong>habitants.The meet<strong>in</strong>g <strong>of</strong> specialists from different academic discipl<strong>in</strong>es at central and regionallevel together with the people actually affected with<strong>in</strong> the area is <strong>in</strong>tendedto add new scientific perspectives to the <strong>in</strong>vestigation <strong>of</strong> degraded and desertifiedare<strong>as</strong>. The results <strong>of</strong> this ph<strong>as</strong>e were ma<strong>in</strong>ly composed <strong>of</strong> the proceed<strong>in</strong>gs <strong>of</strong> thesem<strong>in</strong>ar and a proposal formulated by the participants for the future development<strong>of</strong> the area. It is worth mention<strong>in</strong>g here that each part <strong>of</strong> this research project w<strong>as</strong>primarily a separate operation with its own approach, methodology, results andconclusions.The research project w<strong>as</strong> a jo<strong>in</strong>t effort between the Institute <strong>of</strong> the EnvironmentalStudies (IES) <strong>of</strong> the University <strong>of</strong> Khartoum and Clark University <strong>of</strong> the USA. Itw<strong>as</strong> prepared for the US Agency for International Development (USAID). It w<strong>as</strong> part<strong>of</strong> the E.T.M.A. Program <strong>in</strong> the Sudan. It covers one <strong>of</strong> the eight are<strong>as</strong> selected forresource <strong>in</strong>ventory and monitor<strong>in</strong>g research <strong>in</strong> the country.Re<strong>as</strong>ons for <strong>in</strong>terest <strong>in</strong> the study area were, among others, summarised <strong>as</strong> follows:48
Change language