GAF Completes Extensive Fieldworks Campaign in Sudan

GAF, Germany, has successfully accomplished the extensive fieldwork programme in its Darfur Natural Resources Mapping and Database Project carried out for the Darfur Land Commission (DLC). This is the largest, most comprehensive and most up-to-date inventory and capacity-building project so far on the natural resources and ecological potential of the 500,000-square-kilometre Saharian/Sahelian region.

A wealth of Earth observation and existing data served as base for preparation, recent field data and Darfur wide mapping including change detection at different scales will deliver now accurate planning data for regional development measures. The field data collection started in 2011 and has been continued over several dry and wet seasons up to end of January 2015.

Thematic areas covered are Geology and Minerals, Water Resources, Geomorphology and Soils, further Ecology, Biology and Biodiversity, Land Cover and Land Use and the changes in these over the past decades, and finally Socioeconomic Conditions and Livelihoods in selected population centres. The fieldwork was carried out by expert teams by topic and region or state, involving at peak times well over 120 national and international staff to fulfil the enormous task.

Challenges

Engineer Mohamed Abdulrahman Mudalal, DLC Commissioner stated they are first of all very satisfied that they were able to entirely complete the ambitious fieldwork programme and could even add in specific thematic aspects, this despite the security challenges they have seen the past years. The first analysis shows very promising results. They will allow considerably better management of resources and for a targeted rural and urban development of the region.

Photo: Fieldworks campaign, Geneina project office, August 2014 (Courtesy: GAF).