National Action Plan for the implementation of the Great Green Wall for the Sahel and Sahara Initiative (GGWSSI).

The National Action Plan for the implementation of the Great Green Wall for the Sahel and Sahara Initiative (GGWSSI) is a national action plan with a cross-sectoral approach. The timeframe of this Action Plan is 5 years between 2015 and 2020. The main objectives of the Action Plan are: restoration of degraded lands; forest and rangeland sustainable management; support to livelihoods and resilience of local communities.
This Action Plan sets forth that it will address food security not concentrating only on agriculture but rather concentrating land use management, as good land use management will lead to a more efficient agricultural system. The Action Plan will also concentrate on forestry and animal resources to address food security because Animals are sources of food and income and forestry represents a source of food from edible fruits and energy in addition to indirect enhancement of agriculture.
The Action Plan provides for priority projects for the implementation of the GGWSSI. These projects will include sustainable management of natural resources with components on forestry, agriculture, livestock and rangeland restoration, in addition to improved water harvesting. The priority projects project will also extend in the specified zone to improve sustainable agricultural practices and environmental conservation and biodiversity restoration. Rehabilitation of degraded lands is considered to be one of the priority area of intervention in order to secure a productive land for agricultural and livestock. Further best agricultural practices and techniques will be implemented and diversification of crops will be introduced against the negative effects of drought. Farmer-managed natural regeneration will be promoted. Shelterbelts will be created for farmlands. Irrigation efficiency will be improved for agricultural production. The Action Plan will prevent and combat desertification and develop and improve degraded zones through rehabilitating farmlands, riverbanks and sand dunes through promising techniques such as improving carbon sequestration capacities in plant and soil and reversing migration to restored areas. The natural forests will be rehabilitated by launching new projects and empowering ongoing projects involving local people in forest management. Furthermore degraded forest areas and degraded rangelands will be rehabilitated. To this end agroforestry practices will be promoted. In addition community forests will be established. Plantings in forest areas will be enriched by indigenous species. Regarding water resources management, rainfall and water catchment basis will be established to enhance communal water storage systems and to supplement rainfed agriculture. Existing water storage systems will be improved, trees will be planted around water storages. Riverbanks will be stabilized and fixed with suitable biological and mechanical techniques.
The Action Plan will eradicate rural poverty through improved agricultural production and achieving sustainable development by conservation, protection, sustainable management and restoration of natural resources and associated ecosystems as many livelihoods depend on these matters. The Action Plan will also satisfy domestic needs and increase revenue by promoting income generating activities by installing basic social infrastructure to improve the living conditions of local communities. Importance will be given to a gender sensitive approach when promoting income generating activities. As an example home trees nurseries for women will be developed. Equitable use and sustainable management of natural resources by poor rural men and women will be ensured by enabling villagers the access to agricultural land, grazing land and water points. Farmers’ local organizations and networks will be strengthened. Marketing of local products will be improved by initiatives such as small trade through sale of the local products. Farmers will be trained on the new introduced techniques regarding nursery establishment and maintenance, water harvesting techniques, farmer managed natural regeneration, enclosure techniques and improved agricultural techniques.
To achieve a more inclusive agricultural system the Action Plan foresees to increase the role of the private sector. The Action Plan will further increase the role of institutional partners and local stakeholders for evaluation, modification, ownership and control of different and crosscutting sectors as well as creating a basis for consultation among these actors. The Action Plan will also make sure that different and diverse stakeholders such as regional and international organizations, national institutions, local authorities, communities, civil society and development partners will participate to the implementation of the GGWSSI. Capacity development will be done to lead and manage as well as technical capacities through research and knowledge management and dissemination of best practices. Demand driven research will be conducted to provide answers to real development concerns of people, including rural people. Action will be taken for awareness raising among farmers and other actors to actively engage them in the long process of strategic planning and institutional arrangements.
A coordination Unit for the implementation of the GGWSSI with representations in each of the intervention States will be established. The national implementing agency or coordination unit will provide avenue for the overall oversight of the implementation of the GGWSSI at national level as relayed by State representations at local level in the 6 States. The Great Green Wall Initiative in Sudan is under the Ministry in charge of Environment. Apart from the above mentioned agency different bodies for the effective implementation of the activities in the GGW are: National Guidance Synergy Framework for the GGW - Sudan assimilated to the Inter ministerial Steering Committee; the National Steering Committee chaired by the Secretary General of the Ministry for Environment; National Agency of the Great Green Wall and A Scientific Committee to provide scientific and technical guidance on the research and development and responses to questions raised during the implementation of the GGW.