The Implications of Climate Change in Sudan

As the world is dealing with a deadly pandemic, it becomes increasingly apparent that climate change will be at the forefront of political dialogue for the foreseeable future. The reason is simple; the issues that climate change present are having a significant impact on our ecosystems as well as on the people and wildlife within them. This is especially true for nations existing within Africa’s Sahel region such as Sudan, Ethiopia, Chad and Eritrea. According to a report by CNN, drastic climate change could eventually lead countries such as Sudan to become “uninhabitable”. However, even within the context of the present and immediate future, climate change has had a devastating effect on Sudan’s political scene, which is strongly evident by the ongoing war in Darfur.

According to research by the United Nations (UN) and World Food Programme (WFP), The Darfur conflict has been called the first ‘Climate Change Conflict’. Their findings also show that environmental degradation, and a reduction of resources helped to exacerbate existing tribal conflicts and lead to literal ethnic cleansing campaigns. Specifically, the Sahara desert has expanded southward into Sudan at a rate of over one mile per year, leading to less arable land and fertile soil for tribes and villages to produce crops. This issue is made even worse with weather changes resulting in more sporadic rainfall. Food scarcity in the region is rampant, as a result of less arable land, less fertile soil, and unpredictable rainfall patterns. Darfur’s conflict is then intensified by unequal resource distribution from the central government in Khartoum, and a lack of acknowledgement in regards to their climate-induced issues.

Even outside of Darfur, there have been numerous reports of what can only be described as ecological terrorism against many of Sudan’s most marginalised communities in the region around the Nuba Mountains. Mining companies, protected and supported by armed militias such as the Janjaweed are responsible for using materials such as cyanide and mercury to excavate and extract gold. These materials are extremely toxic to humans, and the mining companies have been caught dumping the waste into nearby sources of water used by local villages. This has caused increased rates of sicknesses, diseases, and deaths in villages located close to the mines. Villagers have staged sit-ins and called for civil disobedience in order to protest the mining companies. In April 2019, 12 protesters were killed by Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in a gold mine while protesting against the unregulated pollution. 

Looking into our immediate future, scientists have predicted that giant swarms of locusts could potentially reach Sudan by mid-June. These locusts, in a corona-battered developing nation, could prove to be the nation’s most dire threat of the year. This summer, because of changing weather patterns, far more locusts than normal have descended upon East African farmers. These locusts form clouds, some reaching a diameter of 25 miles, have been devastating to agricultural production in nations like Eritrea. Small groupings of these insects have historically been able to destroy food products that would have fed 35,000 people. Now, with about 8,000 times the normal amount of these insects (numbering a total 108 billion), scientists fear that they could cause unprecedented famines among East African nations, including Sudan. To counteract the insects, the World Bank has pledged USD500 million in aid to East Africa and the Middle East. Though, as of now, it is still unknown how much these funds will be able to do in aiding mitigation efforts.

The issue of Sudan’s climate and ecosystem should be one dear to the heart of every Sudanese person. These issues must be addressed now if we are to prevent more catastrophic events that will soon present themselves. But, more than that, they must be addressed in a way that is both preventative of new issues, but also fair, equitable, and just for the marginalised communities that have already been disproportionately affected.

In September 2019, I had the opportunity to speak with Prime Minister Abdallah Hamdok about the urgency of climate change in Sudan during a Sudanese conference in New York. He offered no answer at the time. Hopefully, in the future, we will be able to see him answer with action and bold policies. However, if we want to help in a more direct way; especially as members of the diaspora, we need to pressure and vote for lawmakers who take more action to address and mitigate the effects of climate change in Sudan and Africa as a whole.

Rashid Elnagieb is a 22-year-old student living in the United States. He is currently studying environmental science and public health. In the future, he wants to work in public health (specifically in Environmental Health), but he also hopes to be able to perform statistical research for Sudan so that Sudanese lawmakers can make more specific, focused, and effective legislation to better address the nation’s many issues. You can find him on Twitter at @RashidELN.