Sudan’s Water Crisis And The Women Fighting Back
In White Nile State, Sudan, rainfall is an unpredictable and increasingly rare occurrence. Nima Elmassad, a farmer in the Um Naam Um village, has seen first-hand the impacts of increasing aridity from climate change, conflict, and heightened water consumption from intensive agriculture. Having to travel longer distances to reach water has resulted in all but one of her children being forced to leave school to support the farm, the harvest of which is half what it was ten years ago. However, in 2018, the village established a development committee tasked with understanding the local impacts of climate change and brainstorming possible mitigation and adaptation methods. The committee was required to have at least 30% of the board represented by women. Projects were carried out to engage local women, including constructing a water reservoir to store rainfall in the wet season, planting drought-resistant seeds, and planting shady fruit trees. The women involved have expanded this work organically by spreading awareness of alternative methods of farming and drought-resistant seeds throughout the locality.
