Volume 10, Issue 1, January – 2025 International Journal of Innovative Science and Research Technology

ISSN No:-2456-2165 https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.14613778

Climate Adaptation and Capturing Innovative and

Best Practices of Sudan Funded Projects for
Knowledge Management
1
Elwasila Mukhtar M. Elwasila; 2 Sawsan Khair Elseid A. Mustafa; 3Fatima Mohammed Ahmed M. Rahma
1
Dept. of Agricultural Extension and Rural Development, Faculty of Agriculture, U of K, Sudan.
2
Expert Reviewer, Environmental Consultant, A. Tilad Environmental Consultants, Riyadh City, Saudi Arabia.
3
Director General of International Relations General Directorate Ministry of Agriculture & Forests, Consultant in Agricultural
Engineering, Sudan

Abstract:- This paper mainly aims to capture and assess I. INTRODUCTION

projects and initiatives that have led or are leading
innovative actions or good practices that can be Best practices defined as “highlight knowledge or
replicated or scaled up in Sudan. Methods used mainly understanding gained by experience. The experience may be
desk review, interviews using convenient sampling positive, as in a successful test or mission, or negative, as in
method with a number of experts charged of different a mishap or failure. However, the definition of what is good
occupation in academia, research centres, line ministries varies according to context and sector (UNEP ,2020).
and freelance experts. Assessment was covered selected According to UNEP a “good’’ lesson must concisely capture
projects of innovative actions and good ecological and the context from which it is derived, be applicable in a
/or socioeconomic practices implemented by different context, have a clear application domain, have
development partners. Focusing was on four crosscutting clear target users, and guide actions
accelerators: which is technology, innovation, data, and (http://unfccc.int/6491.php). Innovation is any new
complements (governance, human capital and knowledge introduced into and utilized in an economic or
institutions). The secondary and primary data collected social activity.
were subjected to screening, sorting out and thematic
analysis. An innovation is a new product, process, service or
management approach that is adopted on a significant scale
Main findings of good practices adopted include; because it is useful. Agricultural innovation has a number of
ecosystems-based adaptation (EbA) to reduce dimensions social, technical, organizational and
vulnerability and build resilience to climate change, institutional. Innovation can take different shapes and forms.
adaptive technology like zero tillage, improve crop Scientific understanding, a new technology, an invention or
management practices etc., promotion of inclusive high- a new idea is not innovation until it is put into use.
potential value chains, that allow resilient models for Innovation approach offers a more holistic, multidisciplinary
smallholder producers and other herewith described and comprehensive framework for analysing innovation
good practices. It is recommended that the local processes for climate change adaptation and food security.
authorized and concerned partners to; support and scale
up and replicate action needed to form consultative Enhanced sustainability performance requires
natural resource forum develops innovative tools for adaptation and change in processes, products, management
EbA, to alleviate vulnerability and build resilience to approaches, and policy orientations. Therefore, change is a
climate change; monitoring, reporting, and verification fundamental element for organizations, supply chains, and
(MRV) system in sectors; establish Regional communities as they evolve on their sustainability
Observatory Centre; adoption of social protection trajectory. Sustainable innovations that are continuously
system; land governance, support tenure rights and land adopted improve specific organizations and the entire supply
ownership, The technologies judged as most appropriate chain's sustainability trajectory, allowing them to achieve
by producers to be incorporated into on-farm superior sustainability performance. (FAO,2021).
demonstrations and strengthening the research and to be
linked to development. Accelerating and scaling up science, technology and
innovation (STI), including institutional innovations, is key
Keywords:- Innovative Actions, Good Practices, to meeting the aspiration of more efficient, inclusive,
Accelerators, Scale Up, Replication. resilient and sustainable agri-food systems and leveraging
emerging opportunities for achieving the SDGs. STI has
huge potential of producing co-benefits of complementary
sets of actions, (FAO,2021).

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Volume 10, Issue 1, January – 2025 International Journal of Innovative Science and Research Technology
ISSN No:-2456-2165 https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.14613778

Knowledge management (KM) plays a vital role and development partner’s and on available opportunities,
can be a powerful tool in sustainability. KM, organizational which, will allow Sudan and other countries come up with
learning and adaptive management are increasingly concepts for sound projects on appropriate technologies for
recognized in the international development community as land, water and agriculture development.
important routes to more effective development assistance.
Development agencies are investing in programmes that B. Secondary Data
focus on building individual and organizational capacity to Secondary data was used based upon reviewed
learn and adapt, and on measuring and demonstrating the literature of foreign funded projects, especially the
links between learning, value for money and better documents and reports of the development partners to stand
development results. on what had been done in the context of scope, objectives,
practices, implementation process, constraints, challenges
The main objectives of this study reproduced by this etc. The primary data as a base for this study; the team
paper are; identification of projects and initiatives in the conducted interviews, using convenient sampling method
Sudan that have led or are leading innovative actions and with a number of experts charged of different occupation in
good practices that, can be replicated or scaled up; assess academia, research centers, line ministries and freelance
progress and opportunities of partners' initiatives on experts. Some of the respondents were directly interviewed
mobilizing youth and women as entrepreneurs in promoting through face-to-face contact; others were interviewed
innovations that transform livelihoods and enhance through phone conversations.
resilience at scale; describe the opportunities, innovative
and good practices implemented or under implementation by Data analysis; the secondary data and the primary data
projects and other initiatives in the Sudan or elsewhere that were subjected to screening, sorting out and content analysis
deserve to be replicated or scaled up ; Identify of to make some inferences that may be useful to realize the
monitoring and knowledge platforms relevant to the issue; objectives of the study.
assess barriers for implementation of good practices,
innovative approaches and monitoring and knowledge III. KEY FINDINGS
Management platforms in the specified area.
A. Ecosystems-based Adaptation Approach (EbA)
II. METHODOLOGY EbA is a set of practices based on nature-based
solutions that deploys biodiversity and ecosystem services to
A. Study Area reduce vulnerability and build resilience to climate change.
Study Area, the projects identification process was Recommended practices may include: rehabilitation of
started with gathering of available foreign funded projects degraded land and sand dunes fixation using biological
and initiatives and lessons learned were determined and green windbreaks & shelterbelt, these integrated
extracted from previous experiences mainly in land, water interventions had higher ecological resilience to extreme
resources and agriculture. These projects aimed to support climate events, it will gain adaptation and co- benefits of
land, water resources, agricultural and rural development in smallholders to climate change in response to rangeland
Sudan: these grouped by Development Partners which are: degradation and the drive towards increasing local-level
IFAD funded projects; GEF and GCF Programmes that are management (governance) of resources. Mitigation co-
implemented and administrated by their partners such as benefit will include: reduction of CO2 and NO2 emissions
World bank, FAO, UNEP etc.; IGAD and AFDB Projects and increase soil carbon stock. Scale up could be through:
(Wasila et al ,2022).  Establish Consultative Natural Resource Forums as multi
sectoral -stakeholders
One of the main crosscutting themes, identified are  Develop innovative adaptation tools for measuring
IFAD Country Strategic Opportunities Programme carbon such as: FAO’s EX-Ante Carbon- balance Tool
(COSOP) which addresses women, with gender and youth (EX-ACT)1.
mainstreaming action plans; FAO Strategic Framework  Improve monitoring measures to include: MRV system
2022-2031 focusing on the four crosscutting accelerators: in sectors to include a data sharing agreement and a set
which is technology, innovation, data, and complements of quality control procedures. FAO-Open Foris which
(governance, human capital and institutions) (IFAD,2021). are innovative, free and open tools help in measure,
monitor and report on forests and land use, paving the
Initiatives were determined and extracted from way for improved climate change mitigation plans and
previous experiences mainly in land, water resources and more informed land-use policies
agriculture. Assessed projects proved to support land, water  Establish land degradation Observatory Centre.
resources, agricultural and rural development in Sudan.
Evaluated innovative and good practices clearly classified
into 7 themes, which are (ecosystems-based adaptation;
adaptive technologies; inclusive value chains, information EX-ACT 1was used to develop estimates of the impact of
technologies and resilience; water development; energy forestry and rangeland mitigation measures. The tool is a
substitutes improvement; livestock improvement and land-based accounting system, measuring C stocks, stock
livestock feeding system; and climate risk changes per unit of land, and CH4 and N2O. emissions
transfer).Gathering themes mainly depends on different expressed in t CO2e per hectare and year

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Volume 10, Issue 1, January – 2025 International Journal of Innovative Science and Research Technology
ISSN No:-2456-2165 https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.14613778

Upscale EBA based by considering emergence Water development supports It increases resilience of
partnerships and efforts in knowledge management and vulnerable main crop production systems to climate change,
capacity development and capacity building to increase to improve socio-economic conditions, reduce poverty and
resilience to climate shocks and provides for knowledge contribute to achieving SDGs.
management on successful EbA measures and develop
communication and advocacy tools. Scale up need to introduce climate monitoring and
early warning systems; introduce weather-indexed crop
B. Adoption of Adaptive Technologies insurance; Rainwater harvesting through water storage and
Conservative Agriculture or zero tillage technology spreading techniques to be utilized during dry spell and to
which, proved to improves the soil, increases production and avoid rain variability in rain-fed agriculture and pasture
decreases the cost of production. It consists of improved improvement sites.
agricultural packages include: Crop residue from previous
crop and crop rotation; Application of pre-post emergence  Energy Substitutes Improvement:
herbicides; Include: Distribution of gas cylinders and stove units to
vulnerable household communities reduced, consumption
Planting in rows and application of fertilizer in one per household of charcoal. Scale up a provision of LPG
operation by a special planter; and Agricultural operation cylinders -refilling center and invest in solar energy (Solar
started after the soil has received 110 mm of rain fall energy pumps).
(HCNER ,2013). Zero tillage had climate mitigation co
benefit through Zero tillage which reducing soil erosion, E. Livestock Improvement Activities and Improve Livestock
reduction of CO2 and NO2 emissions and increase soil Feeding System
stocks. Scale up of zero-tillage in require the following : Good practices in increasing adaptive capacities of
vulnerable population population.Scale up and replication
 Knowledge and skills and also necessitate those farmers need strengthening the research to guarantee complete
be organized in groups or societies under the umbrella of package delivery in crop and livestock activities; manure
agricultural service providers. management studies; feed inventories studies by ecological
 Adoption of social protection system, tools or programs zones at various seasons for different animal type;
 Mobilization & formation of association common development of forecast-based finance instruments to
interest groups and extension teams minimize potential losses to productive systems; and design
of combinations of appropriate risk finance tools and
C. Promotion of Inclusive Value Chains, Information instruments appropriate to local contexts.
Technologies and Resilience
Transformation of agricultural production through F. Climate Risk Finance
promotion of inclusive high-potential value chains; and This includes vegetation index insurance facilitated by
promotion of information technologies for communication microfinance and micro insurance. Climate risk finance for
and provision of services to allow resilient models for sustainable and climate resilient rain-fed farming and
smallholder producers in the rainfed areas of Sudan. This pastoral systems is to increase climate resilience of rain-fed
transformation increases environmental sustainability, farmer and pastoral communities in regions of high rainfall
enhances resilience at scale, and strengthens women and variability through climate risk financing. Scale up and
youth organizations and associations reducing inequities as replication should be enhancing governance; and Support
it contributes to SDGs. tenure rights, and replicate African Development Fund to
implement the Africa Disaster Risk Financing Programme
Scale-up requires revival of land governance, support (ADRiFi).
of tenure rights, and land ownership; access to the
production inputs market along the value chain; support for  Knowledge Management and Platforms
agriculture and natural resource management policies Knowledge management (KM) plays a vital role and
review, and networking dialogue and platforms at all levels. can be a powerful tool. Its organizational learning and
adaptive management are increasingly recognized in the
D. Water Development international development community as important routes to
Water development of different forms for different more effective development assistance. Development
purposes represent good opportunity for water security and agencies are investing in programmes that focus on building
build social integrity among diverse groups of users in individual and organizational capacity to learn and adapt,
addition, provision water reduced of resources-based and on measuring and demonstrating the links between
management especially pastoralists and farmers. It includes: learning, value for money and better development results
Pump irrigation and Improved water harvesting practices (IFAD,2019). Major assets in Knowledge Management in
and water catchment. the Sudan were evidenced by knowledge systematization
and cross learning between the projects, particularly around
natural resource management and governance, and women
empowerment.

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Volume 10, Issue 1, January – 2025 International Journal of Innovative Science and Research Technology
ISSN No:-2456-2165 https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.14613778

Collaboration with international and/or national reduction in unemployment of women, men and youth.
entities, e.g. Consultative Group on International
Agricultural Research (CGIAR), Agricultural Research FAO Strategic Framework 2022-2031 was focused on
Centre (ARC), Universities or similar research and the four crosscutting accelerators: technology, innovation,
academia. The Platforms which are established act as a data, and complements (governance, human capital and
liaison and/ or coordinating body to foster communication institutions) focus efforts in all of FAO’s programmatic
between the groups, information-sharing, coordination and interventions, is to fast-track progress and maximize
mutual learning, however related platform include: WASH prospects for contributing to the SDGs, while minimizing
(Water, Sanitation and Hygiene); Pastoral forum, Natural trade-offs. The crosscutting themes of gender, youth and
Resources Network and NGOs platforms (Dafallaet.al, inclusion are embedded across all of FAO’s work to
2017). operationalize the principle of leaving no one behind (FAO,
2022).
 Innovative and Best Practices from Development
Partners on Climate Resilient Actions and Resource Core function of FAO strategy include Capacity
Mobilization development; and improve capacities of institutions and
Implementation modalities of all mentioned organizations for gender-responsive action (FAO, 2021).
development partners comprising youth and women as
entrepreneurs as community-based actors who, fully Adaptation fund climate innovation accelerator
engaged in the implementation process in different forms (AFCIA) which is the operational arm of the United Nations
such as local village development committees (VDCs) at Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC)
community levels and producers' associations, which Technology Mechanism. This Innovation Facility of the
governed by the producers’ associations Act (2011) and Adaptation Fund is offering vulnerable countries, new tools
supervised by the MoAF, under the umbrella of the General and grants to foster scale up and accelerate innovative
Attorney office. Those local non-state actors are gender adaptation practices and technologies on the ground to help
based selected or elected often, there are specialized women meet the urgency of climate change. Climate technology
committees, developed as income generating activities center and network (CTCN); UNDP and UNEP provide
groups to support livelihoods transformation and enhance different services to support innovation in adaptation to
the resilience. developing countries through Adaptation Fund AFCIA. The
AFCIA UNDP Grant Funding programme is designed to
One of the main crosscutting themes, the IFAD develop and diffuse innovative adaptation practices, tools,
COSOP addresses are: Women and youth mainstreaming and technologies that will result in improved climate
action plans during the programme design phase; Nutrition resilience livelihood
will be mainstreamed by selecting nutrition-sensitive crops
for value chain development and home gardens. Expected  Priority Areas Linked with Innovative and Good
result in this regard is that by the end of COSOP a 20% Practices

Table 1 Priority Areas were Identified in the Initial Screening Sudan was Summarized
Portfolio Priority areas Good Practices for replication or upscale
1. Sustainable Land and Restoration and management of land and other Land management
water management and ecosystems
Carbon sequestered
biodiversity
Protected area management
Mobilization and integrated management of water Water structures
resources
2. Climate actions and Adaptation and resilience to climate change through Resilient actions
Green Economy green growth
Strengthening of energy infrastructure Energy substitute infrastructure
Improved stoves and bio digesters
Vulnerability management to climate risks Climate smart villages (CSV)
3. Resilient Economic Promotion and Development of productive green jobs green jobs and interactive structures
Development and Improvement of access to d basic social services Enabling environment for value chain
Security activities
4. Technical and logistic Knowledge management knowledge management platforms
capacity building Research and development of local knowledge Selection and seed processing units
Support to research, training and development Studies/research and capacities
Centres for the support of the Resilient Development Establish Operational Centres of Support
for Resilient Land Development and
training
5. Information Monitoring and evaluation of natural capital and Setting up a network;
Communication management information Land degradation Observatory

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Volume 10, Issue 1, January – 2025 International Journal of Innovative Science and Research Technology
ISSN No:-2456-2165 https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.14613778

Portfolio Priority areas Good Practices for replication or upscale

Advocacy Communication, Marketing and Advocacy Publication and dissemination
Coalitions and platforms / Communication
Plan
Financial support Provision of financial services and access to funding Involvement of private sector to support and
lender institutions Establishment of joint ventures

 Barriers For Implementation of Good Practices,  Considerable fund should be devoted from the donors to
Approaches and Monitoring and Knowledge climate resilient infrastructures and access to renewable
Institutional barriers: contradicting sectoral polices and energy, and provision of energy saving technologies.
regulatory framework to support sustainable land and  Encouragement and sponsoring the promotion of
natural resources adaptation and mitigation measures; information technologies for communication and
Physical barriers: Incomplete land use map, poor equipped provision of services
and low working environment; Technical barriers:  Innovation demonstrations can be as a platform for the
Inadequate capacities and knowledge gaps; Financial engagement of the stakeholders to demonstrate new
barriers: Financial constrains Ineffective coordination technology or practices.
between governmental organizations and lack of synergies;  The technologies judged as most appropriate by
Environmental barriers: Weak drought contingency planning producers will be incorporated into the on-farm
and Gender and social barriers: demonstrations in the following season.
 Networking among the relevant stakeholders and
IV. CONCLUSION & knowledge sharing models or platforms should be
RECOMMENDATION developed to make use of scientific institutions
competencies (research, universities, institutions in
Assessment was covered selected projects of environment protection etc) to promote and scale up the
innovative actions and good ecological and /or innovative technologies and good practices
socioeconomic practices implemented by development  The partners should seek and implement effective
partners. One of the main crosscutting themes, identified are approaches for coordination, exchange and flow of
IFAD -COSOP, which addresses women, with gender and information at regional and national levels.
youth mainstreaming action plans; FAO Strategic  Establishment of networking among established
Framework 2022-2031 focusing on the four crosscutting community-based organizations at village and locality
accelerators: which are technology, innovation, data, and and State levels, which would play a central role in the
complements (governance, human capital and empowerment of local people and provide greater
institutions).Assessed innovative and good practices clearly incentives to manage and utilize these natural resources
classified into 7 themes depend on the analysis of in a sustainable way.
effectiveness of projects and initiatives, gathering themes  Increased focus should be given to the inclusion of youth
mainly depends on different development partner’s and an in FACI activities.
available opportunities mentioned above, which, will allow  Digital marketing data base it is essential to disseminate
Sudan and come up with concepts for sound projects on markets information
appropriate technologies for land, water and agriculture
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Volume 10, Issue 1, January – 2025 International Journal of Innovative Science and Research Technology
ISSN No:-2456-2165 https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.14613778

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