Abstract:

Global environmental change is a one of humanity’s greatest challenges affecting both current and future generations. Many world regions face this threat but are increasing rapidly especially in arid and semiarid climatic zones. As a case study, North Kordofan State of Sudan now has existing risks and vulnerabilities associated with many reasons; some areas affected by environmental and climatic impacts, in addition to ethnic conflicts between nomads and sedentary farmers, as well as with socio-ethnic and socio-political conflicts destabilizing the critical areas on the western and southern parts of the state. The study aimed to address the change during the past decade by overlaying maps of Land Use/ Land Cover (LU/LC) classes in the State acquired at different points in time, as well as to assess the vulnerability associated with the environmental change. Data were collected in two forms; socioeconomic data and multi-temporal satellite data (i.e. LANDSAT TM and ETM) to study the LU/LC changes. The result of the case studies reveals that, an intensive and dynamic rate of deforestation clearly related to admixture dynamic interactions between social and ecological systems. In sum, we urgently need rethinking about the serious threat of environmental change in these areas. Moreover, new strategies and research development are needed to cope with high levels of the change.