UNEP has hosted a workshop aimed at raising awareness on the importance of social and environmental aspects of development projects among members of various government institutions.

During the May event, participants learned how to conduct a Social and Environmental Impact Assessment and visited field sites. There, they received experiential training on a new water spreading structure that UNEP’s partner - the Practical Action NGO - is constructing in North Darfur.

The workshop is part of UNEP’s three-year Wadi El Ku Catchment Management Project (WEK) in North Darfur that was launched in 2013 with support from the European Union. The project aims to demonstrate how integrated management – particularly of water resources – can lead to better understanding, use and care for vital natural resources. For WEK to be sustainable beyond the project lifetime, technical staff within relevant regulatory bodies in North Darfur need to understand environmental and social impacts of projects. They must also be able to screen planned interventions, and have the capacity to review completed environmental impact assessments for quality. This event aimed to address these needs and enable technical personnel on the ground to monitor interventions now and in the future.

For more information: cristina.poiata@unep.org