As the armed conflict between the Sudanese army and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) widens, waves of displacement and hunger intensify, leaving thousands without their main sources of income. At the same time, rampant deforestation has become a parallel war against the land due to the absence of alternative energy sources. For decades, Sudan’s tree cover has served as a natural line of defense against desertification and drought.
Environmental reports reveal that the current war—and those that preceded it—have contributed to the destruction of forest cover, creating catastrophic conditions in Khartoum, Al-Jazira, Sennar, and the five states of Darfur. The crisis has also spread into the Kordofan region, affecting its three states: North, South, and West Kordofan, in addition to states hosting internally displaced people such as Gedaref, Kassala, White Nile, River Nile, and Red Sea, where forests have sustained extensive damage.
With key local energy facilities targeted—most notably the Al-Jaili refinery, which provides around 50 percent of the country’s gas production—Sudan has experienced a severe shortage of natural gas. This has driven citizens to cut down forests indiscriminately and revert to primitive cooking methods, as the thriving charcoal trade, now the main source of fuel, yields quick profits and targets old-growth forests amid the paralysis of government oversight in conflict zones.
Desertification and Drought
Faisal Kabir, a displaced resident from Central Darfur, said: “The wars that the Darfur region has witnessed have contributed to the destruction of forests due to excessive cutting for charcoal production, especially around Zalingei and neighboring areas. This is expected given the total absence of oversight and state institutions responsible for protecting forests.”
He added: “The increasing waves of displacement caused by ongoing fighting have resulted in the formation of new residential clusters in arrival areas for the displaced, leading to the depletion of natural resources. Darfur has diverse environments and dense tree cover, but extensive tree cutting has taken place for various purposes, including building shelters and heating during winter.”
Kabir noted that widespread deforestation occurs daily across the five Darfur states due to the massive numbers of displaced people in camps. He warned that the continuation of the war will lead to the eradication of forest cover and bring about immediate challenges of desertification and drought, threatening agricultural areas.
Lack of Oversight
Social activist Adam Issa, who lives in El-Obeid, North Kordofan’s capital, said: “The expansion of the conflict between the army and the RSF across the three Kordofan states will directly affect the hashab and talh forests. Their presence has dwindled in Kordofan, Darfur, and Gedaref due to widespread deforestation. These forests cover nearly 500 square kilometers of cultivated land.”
Issa pointed out that random cutting of hashab and talh trees has placed the gum arabic industry at risk of extinction, especially in Kordofan, which ranks first in gum arabic production.
He added that the targeting of Kordofan has increased mass displacement into remote camp areas lacking basic necessities, forcing displaced communities to cut trees and destroy productive species that serve as natural protection for Sudan.
“The chaos of war has weighed heavily on vegetation,” he said, attributing this to the absence of oversight from the Forests Authority and the failure to enforce laws.
Heavy Losses
Forestry researcher Adel Khidr stated: “Forests in the safer states hosting displaced populations, such as Gedaref, Kassala, White Nile, and River Nile, have suffered extensive damage due to excessive tree cutting. The same is true for states that experienced intense fighting such as Khartoum, Al-Jazira, Darfur, and Blue Nile. Life in displacement camps has increased the need for firewood to meet daily needs, speeding up forest degradation.”
Khidr added that military operations have directly impacted forests, contributing to fires and pollution, resulting in severe losses for agriculture and livestock and threatening natural ecological balance. He noted rising public outcry, especially in eastern Al-Jazira, with growing demands to protect forests before the situation worsens.
He said Sudan’s forests are vital productive resources for the national economy, major reducers of carbon emissions, and habitats for wildlife—yet many rare birds of prey and animals have fled due to constant tree cutting, causing significant biodiversity decline, making this one of the worst environmental crises in Sudan’s modern history.
Khidr concluded: “Assessing the current state of the forests is an urgent necessity. Restoring environmental balance requires the activation of state oversight, prioritizing vegetation recovery, and mobilizing environmental partners along with awareness campaigns to preserve and develop natural resources.”
Another Battle
Taha Al-Taher Badawi, Chairman of the Delta Center for Scientific and Environmental Studies, explained that the war has severely impacted forest cover, especially in areas of heavy fighting. “This has taken a direct toll on forests,” he said, describing it as a parallel war against the land itself through uncontrolled cutting and encroachment on protected forests.
He noted that the lack of cooking gas pushed residents—particularly in Khartoum—to rely on firewood and charcoal. Displacement has also placed immense pressure on forest ecosystems in areas containing gum-producing trees now facing mounting threats.
Badawi warned that weak enforcement of laws, security deterioration, and wartime impunity have severely damaged major reserves in Darfur, Kordofan, Gedaref, and Dinder National Park.
He stressed the importance of engaging forestry and environmental specialists to preserve Sudan’s natural wealth.
Saving What Remains
Agricultural researcher Marwa Bashir said: “In my estimation, the decline of vegetation cover in Sudan requires updated monitoring tools and reliable data to determine the scale of damage. The current reports rely on unofficial estimates due to war, infrastructure destruction, and the looting of monitoring equipment, even though losses are evidently massive given the forests’ vast distribution.”
She emphasized the need to assess forests, especially in previously stable areas, to protect what remains and save the national economy from further destruction of this invaluable resource.
