Effect of Climate Change Vulnerability on Agriculture, Forestry and Rangel Land Condition in White Nile State, Sudan (A Case Study of El Slam and El Dweim Localities)

This study was carried out during 2019 in El Slam and El Dweim localities WhiteNile State (WNS), Sudan with aim to investigate the impact of climate change vulnerability on crop production, forestry and range land in WNS. Three methods for data collection were used (1) Vulnerability assessment by using the satellite images (2) Key informant interview (KII), and (3) Focus group Discussion (FGD). The results showed that the main field crops in the two localities are sorghum, sesame, mellit, groundnut and watermelon and vegetable crops. Crop production was highly affected by climatic and non-climatic factors which include; low and erratic rainfall, outbreak of pest and diseases (striga), lack of improve seeds, lack of proper storage capacity, flooding especially, mono-cropping which lead to soil deterioration and striga infestation, lack of financial support and poor extension services. The remote sensing data from 2000-2018, showed that the forest cover in El Salam locality was decreased from 365,726 ha in 2000 to 147,089 ha in 2018 about 250,282 ha of the forest land were converted to non-forest land including 41% to agricultural land and 26% to grazing land. In contrast in El Dweim locality the results showed slight improvement in forest cover. The range condition in the two localities was deteriorated compared with the past periods. In Elsalam locality the range land was estimated at 264,702 ha in 2000, by year 2018 almost 85% of these areas were converted to non-grassland as follows:(75%) to agriculture land and (10%) to urban areas. In El Dweim locality the decrease is about 52%. Generally, the deterioration of the range land can be attributed to many factors such as low and erratic rainfall, fodder shortage, poor distribution of water point, fire outbreak and speared of invader species. The study recommended many intervention to improve agriculture production such as the dissemination of improved seeds (drought resistant and early maturing); promotion of vegetable production to improve nutrition. For bothforest and rangeland condition which include; planting of 10% of the area of the agricultural land with forest trees; establishment of shelterbelts and promotion of social forestry; and enforcement of natural resourceslegislation, provision of improved stove and LPG, introduction of agroforestry systems, establishment of community forestry, provision of tree seedlings, rehabilitation ofdegraded range land, opening of fire lines and provide new water.