Community Environmental Governance Initiative (CEGI)

The Community Environmental Governance Initiative (CEGI) was implemented between January 2012 and March 2013 in Aradaibat Eltigani, a village located along the eastern bank of the Rahad River at the border of Dinder National Park in Western Gallabat Locality, Gedarif State, eastern Sudan. The project was carried out by the Sudanese Environment Conservation Society (SECS) in partnership with Oxfam Novib and in collaboration with local government institutions, universities and community-based organizations. It targeted a diverse population of around 4,000 people representing more than 12 tribes, including farmers, pastoralists, women, youth, traditional leaders, and school students, all of whom depend directly on land, forests, and water resources for their livelihoods. The CEGI aimed to strengthen social cohesion, revive traditional ecological knowledge, promote sustainable land-use planning, restore trust between communities and the Dinder National Park authorities, and build resilience to climate change impacts. Through activities such as participatory land use planning, eco-farm establishment with solar-powered irrigation, agricultural extension, water harvesting training, documentation of biocultural heritage, and human and environmental rights awareness campaigns, the project contributed to reducing land-use conflicts, improving livelihood practices, increasing environmental awareness, and supporting more sustainable natural resources management in the region.