Background

Recognizing the importance of addressing climate change and the need to integrate its environmental and development objectives, Sudan ratified the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) in 1993, and submitted, with the assistance of the UNDP/Global Environment Facility, its Initial National Communication (INC) the same year.

In line with its commitment to the UNFCCC, every four years Sudan is expected to report on the national progress on issues related to climate change. To help the country prepare its Second National Communication (SNC), UNDP, with the support of the Global Environment Facility (GEF), launched in September 2007 the Enabling Activities for the Preparation of Sudan’s Second National Communication (SNC) project. The initiative identified critical priorities for the implementation of the UNFCCC in Sudan, and built upon previous activities, studies, experiences, and institutional settings. It responds also to the need for strengthening Sudan’s capacity to fulfill its commitments to the UNFCCC on a long-term basis.

In order to develop a strategy for an effective climate change response addressing the long-term local and environmental concerns, capacity-building of the relevant institutions must be undertaken. In fact each institution’s capacity has been hampered by infrastructure weakness due to the lack of funding and technical expertise. The project also addresses the need to ensure the availability of policy related information to support the integration of climate change issues into national development plans; the availability of a national Greenhouse Gas (GHG) inventory for all possible source/sink categories; the development of a system to ensure this national GHG inventory is kept up-to-date; improved scientific knowledge; and a clear understanding of Sudan’s vulnerabilities and adaptation responses to current and future climate change.

By aiming to integrate the principles of sustainable development into country policies and programmes to reverse the loss of environmental resources, this project contributes directly to Millennium Development Goal 7, Target 9.

Objectives
The overall objective of the project is to undertake a highly consultative and participatory process of needs assessment to prepare and submit the Second National Communication on Climate Change to the Conference of Parties in accordance with guidance of the UNFCCC, and to strengthen Sudan’s capacity to fulfill its commitments to the UNFCCC on a continuing basis.

The project’s specific objectives are:
• To prepare an up-to-date national Greenhouse Gas (GHG) inventory and the establishment a national system for regularly updating the GHG inventory.
• To elaborate a programme to mitigate GHG emissions.
• To strengthen the national technical and institutional capacity and institutionalize the National Communications process.
• To increase scientific understanding of vulnerability and adaptation to future climate change in Sudan.
• To prepare the Second National Communication of Sudan and its submission to the COP.

Snapshots of the project's major achievements
• An inception workshop was held on 24 March 2008 in Khartoum and attended by 100 government officials and stakeholders;
• A steering committee comprising representatives of all relevant institutions was established.. The committee held five meetings over 2008 during which it provided guidance, discussed and endorsed quarterly work plans and progress reports;
• Two technical teams of experts were established , one on vulnerability and adaptation assessment and the other on greenhouse gases inventory and mitigation;
• Stockholm Environmental Institute was recruited to provide technical backstopping and conducted two training sessions in October. The first sessions resulted in the training of 50 participants in preparation of the Green House Gases (GHG) inventory. The second training session benefited 47 participants who were trained in vulnerability and adaptation approaches, methods and tools for vulnerability and adaptation assessment. In addition, hands-on training on the water and evaluation planning system model was provided.
• Technical teams for GHG inventory comprising 27 national experts were established with 5 sub-teams representing the following sectors: energy, industry. agriculture, waste, and land-use change and forestry. Data availability and gaps for the GHG sources and sinks were identified.