From the foregoing, the following most important findings can be pointed out:
Sudan’s nfp was actually conceived simultaneously or just before the official launching of TFAP by the WB, FAO and UNDP but non-the-less Sudan seems to have followed most the basic principles and operational guidelines that have been developed for the process since. Foremost of these, Sudan’s nfp is truly Country Driven and it involved most of the effective stakeholders particularly the world donor community.
The outcome of implementation of nfp in Sudan is evident in many parameters and aspects:
The implementation of nfp did not perhaps expand the overall tree cover of the country or decelerate the rate of desertification. It did quantify both parameters. It increased the area registered as forests, plantation forests and areas put under management plans almost ten fold.
Many far reaching policy, legislation and institutional changes have come about. These included revision of forest policy; enactment of an autonomous para-statal forests corporation with defined responsibilities and powers; enactment of a revised forests act, incorporation of forestry into the country’s strategic planning process and passing of presidential decrees and a national constitution which expedited the process of forest reservation and designated federal and state forests and aspects of devolution of forest management and sharing of revenue with state governments.
Institutional changes sympathetic to the cause of forestry encompassed the
forest administration itself, forestry research, education and extensive
together with the decentralization process.
Positive policy responses to forestry came from such sectors as agriculture,
water, industry, energy, higher education and economy.
Forestry has largely been accepted as an important sector in the national economy. This is reflected in the involvement in the process of forestry planning and management of such community segments as civil society, private sector, women’s organizations and NGOs. The contribution of forestry to the GDP was highlighted in the economic review of the country for the first time albeit much lower than is claimed by foresters.
Investment in the forestry sector both by GOS and donor community increased substantially. Investment by GOS and donors was around LS 5.0 million and US $ 7.5 million respectively prior to the nfp. With the advent of nfp, some 16 forestry projects were operating simultaneously in the forestry sector with total finance of LS 101 million, US $ 25.13 million, DM 21.52 and ₤ 1.0 million.
Data extrapolated from forest products consumption survey and national forest inventory both conducted under nfp was valuable. The ongoing civil strife in Southern Sudan is behind the shortcoming of both studies. On the face of it, more wood is removed from Sudan’s forests than the allowable cut permits. But, if the forest inventory is to cover the wood surplus south and neighbouring areas of the north, the annual wood removal will be well below the allowable cut and would hence be sustainable together with forest services. This is without taking into consideration the relief brought about by the shifting of dependence from biomass to petroleum derivatives availed by Sudan's exploitation of its oil resources.
Finance to the level envisaged by the FSR and FRCP would be needed to sustain the management of Sudan forests to perpetually yield the required goods and services and accommodate all the variables in the past two decades.
The most notable success of Sudan’s nfp include: the recognition of the sector’s environmental and socio-economic roles; promulgation of supportive policies and legislations; integration of the sector activities in the national planning process; involvement of most of the effective stakeholders; implementation of crucial base line studies, improvement of seed technology and improvement in the condition of forest resources.
Many factors were behind the notable successes. The foremost of these were the national attitude and the elevated morale of forestry personnel.
Since 1989 GOS faced declared and undeclared political / diplomatic isolation and economic sanctions.
The whole nation got entrenched for austerity measures and self-reliance policies. The overall foreign support dropped from an annual average of US $ 900 million before 1989 to less than US $ 50 million a year during the 1990s. The nation just decided to go it alone and it did. The nfp was integrated into the country’s 10-year development plan CNS 1992-2002. The latter was implemented in the aforementioned circumstances.
The little foreign support that continued together with policies and legislations sympathetic to the forestry cause, the establishment of the FNC as an autonomous parastatal, improvement of work facilities, training and interaction with expatriate consultants have all helped boost the morale of forestry personnel.
In spite of the many constraints faced by Sudan’s nfp, its performance could be deemed as satisfactory. This is a summation evaluation of the entire spectrum of nfp components; from the realistic initial proposal to institutional/legislative/administrative support through government commitment and human resources development.
The following recommendations are posed for the way ahead:
The forestry sector review which was the precursor of the Forestry Resources Conservation Project and hence nfp- need to be revamped to take stock of accomplishment in the entire sector and accommodate environmental, political, constitutional and economic valuable during the time since the mid 1980s.
1.1. The forestry aspects that come foremost to mind and which require attention in a revised FSR include:
Revision of forest policy.
Updating of forest products consumption survey and national forest inventory.
A thrust in tree planting, afforestation and reforestation and forest management.
Review of and support to forestry education and research.
Capacity building/curriculum development to instil contemporary forestry concepts such as nfp, sustainable forest management, criteria and indicators, legally binding and non-binding instruments etc. The capacity building need to encompass all stakeholders, particularly stat authorities.
2. The forestry sector could perhaps start with or without international support and on the basis of recommendation (1) to prepare its input in the forthcoming 25-year vision 2002-2027 envisaged by GOS.
