An Integrated Approach towards Natural Resources Management and Prevention of Resource-Based Conflicts in Sudan

The study aims to provide evidence for the current natural resources mismanagement and to contribute in developing proper mechanism (model) to improve solidarity in natural resources management. The study area, White Nile and Sinnar States, lies within the arid and semi-arid climatic zones of Sudan where rain-fed farming and animal breeding are the dominant systems of food production. The successive episodes of droughts and fluctuations in rainfall patterns caused decline in land capability and reduction in crop yield. This situation forced the traditional farmers to expand and cultivate more land in most cases at the expense of the pastoral routes and transhumant. The current statustriggers resource-based conflicts and necessitates policies and strategies for proper natural resources management. The study adopted an integrated approach of combiningremote sensing data (images of Landsat 1999, 2010 and 2014), field surveys, consultations and workshops and discussions with stakeholders. The research developed a conceptual model that integrated four pillars (InformationProviders, natural resources managers, owners and beneficiaries of the land resources and the Policy and Decision Makers (enactment). Accordingly, the natural resources were assessed and the causes of conflict on resources were figured out. The result of this research showed evidence of natural resources deterioration and diminishing of rangelands due to agricultural expansion and mismanagement among other factors that contribute to conflicts. Rangeland in 1999 covered 34 % of the total area, in 2010 27 % and in 2014 it occupied 15 % of the study area with reduction of 19 % in area during the last 15 years. It also revealed the poor communications between theactors and thestakeholders in addition to their previous weak capacity and inadequate information on natural resources. The results of consultation and workshop discussions gained theacceptance and satisfaction of stakeholders as related to the model and the proposed integrated approach for vision, views and information exchange and sharing. The research concluded that the proposed model could be adopted to improve the solidarity in natural resources management and mitigation and prevention of conflicts in the study area and elsewhere in Sudan.