On 14-17 March 2017, two senior UNESCO officers from the Ecological and Earth Sciences Division of the Science Sector have conducted a mission to Sudan to overview opportunities to expand in Sudan activities and projects relevant to the International Man and Biosphere (MAB) and Geoscience and Geopark (IGGP) Programmes.

The visitors, Dr. Han Qunli, the Director of Ecological Sciences and Secretary of International MAB Programme and Dr.  Miguel Clusener-Godt, the Head of MAB Programme Research and Policies Section, first of all investigated a situation around possibility of involving Sudan in the World Network of Islands and Coastal Biosphere Reserves (WNCINBR) – via creating Biosphere Reserves in Sudan's Red Sea Terrestrial Island and Coastal Zones. On 15-16 March they visited the Red Sea State, where they discussed the opportunities with the Director of Wildlife Commission in Red Sea and his deputy, the Dean of the Faculty of Marine Sciences & Fisheries at Red Sea University, and other officials from the Ministry of Environment, Red Sea University, Wildlife Commission and Private Sector. The field study around the Dungonab Bay (the Sudanese National Park and the World Heritage site) confirmed an adequate status of the site and nearby communities from point of view of further promoting it as Biosphere Reserve. The mission also visited the Headquarters of Wildlife Commission, Red Sea University, Aquarium and Mohamed Gol Village.

 

On 15 March 2017, the Mission led a seminar “Overview of UNESCO's International Programmes for MAB and IGGP” organized by the Khartoum office of UNESCO in the main building of the Federal Ministry of Tourism, Antiquities and Wildlife under the patronage of the Minister, H.E. Mr. Mohamed Abu Zaid Mustafa. The UNESCO officials presented MAB and IGGP, answered questions of participants, and brainstormed on opportunities of further developments in Sudan. The seminar was honoured by the Member of Executive Board of UNESCO, H.E. Prof. Abdin Salih, Representative of UNESCO to Sudan, H.E. Dr. Pavel Kroupkine, Director of the Wildlife Commission, H.E. Major General Abdelhafiz Osman Al-Jak, acting Undersecretary of the Ministry of Tourism, H.E. Mr. Siddig Gasm Elseed, Secretary General of the Sudanese National Commission for Education, Sciences and Culture, Dr. Abdelgadir Noureddin, and representatives from the Ministries of Tourism and Environment, Wildlife Commission, UNESCO Network in Sudan, UN Environment, UNDP, Universities, NGO's, etc.

The seminar participants enjoyed the opportunity to visit exhibitions organized by the Sudanese Development Agency on the Sanganeb Atoll and Dunganab Bay World Heritage site, and by the Ministry of Tourism on the tourism promotion in Sudan.

 

On 17 March 2017, during the wrap up session in the Khartoum office of UNESCO, the Mission proposed to a further exploration the opportunities:

• Organizing the assessment study about MAB opportunities on Sudan's Red Sea Terrestrial Island and Coastal Zones, with special attention to

  • Dungonab Bay

  • Suakin Archipelago

  • Mangroves in the southern part of the Sudanese coast

and strengthening cooperation with PERSGA, Cousteau, UNDP, UN Environment and other interested in Red Sea conservation organizations and funds

• Organising national MAB convent / conference – strengthening the Sudanese MAB community

• Strengthening efforts in further development of Jebel El Dair National Park as a Biosphere Reserve

• Further collecting information on wadis and other parts of the arid / semi-arid areas