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News release

Sudanese see pollution as a serious problem affecting their communities, Afrobarometer survey shows

22 Dec 2023 Sudan
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Key findings
  • Almost nine out of 10 Sudanese (88%) consider pollution a serious problem in their communities, including 67% who say it is a “very serious problem”.
  • More than three-fourths (79%) of respondents say plastic bags are a major source of pollution in Sudan.
  • Citizens cite pollution of water sources (37%), human waste management (23%), and air pollution (22%) as the most important environmental issues in their community, followed by trash and plastic disposal (13%), and deforestation (3%).
  • More than half (56%) of Sudanese would want the government to prioritise environmental protection even if such policies were to conflict with economic objectives.
  • Citizens assign primary responsibility for reducing pollution and keeping communities clean to local government (33%,) national government (28%), and ordinary citizens (27%). Far fewer look to business and industry (8%).
  • Three-fourths (76%) of citizens say the government should regulate the natural resource extraction industry more tightly in order to reduce its negative impacts on the environment.

A majority of Sudanese see pollution as a serious problem in their communities, a new Afrobarometer survey shows.
Citizens rank pollution of water resources, sanitation, and air pollution as the most important environmental issues in their communities and consider plastic bags a major source of pollution in their country.

A majority of Sudanese prioritise environmental protection even if such policies might threaten jobs and incomes. Most also favour tighter regulation of natural resource extraction to reduce its impact on the environment, and they assign primary responsibility for reducing pollution and keeping communities clean to local and national governments.