Darfur International Water Conference: Water for Sustainable Peace 2011

The Darfur International Conference, sponsored by the Sudan Ministry of Irrigation and Water Resources along with United Nations agencies, including the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), the World Health Organization (WHO), the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the United Nations for Project Services (UNOPS), will seek to raise support for a six-year series of water-related projects in Darfur. The Conference will launch and appeal for US$1.5 billion in water sector projects, from rebuilding the water infrastructure devastated by conflict to introduce innovative technologies and systems to creating policy for drought preparedness.

An appeal document is to be released at the Conference, seeking funds for 56 projects in all. The document calls for a major initiative that "fully integrates water resource management and WASH services for the affected population to meet their survival, livelihood and environmental protection needs, (and) which would advance the cause of peace in the region."

More than 250 international and Sudanese water experts, economists, development specialists and donors and expected to participate in the conference.