The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) is the United Nations system's designated entity for addressing environmental issues at the global and regional level. Its mandate is to coordinate the development of environmental policy consensus by keeping the global environment under review and bringing emerging issues to the attention of governments and the international community for action. 

In Sudan, UNEP maintains a programme office managed out of the Disasters and Conflicts Branch, which implements a range of environmental governance and natural resource management projects in partnership with government and non-government actors.

For over a decade UNEP has partnered with Sudanese national, state and local authorities, civil society and international actors to promote sustainable development of Sudan’s natural resources, aiming to support peace, recovery and environmentally sustainable development. UNEP’s work focuses on environmental protection, climate change mitigation and adaptation, natural resources management, and integrated water resources management through participatory community engagement. These interventions support improved environmental governance, rural livelihoods, state-to-federal policy innovation, and economic strengthening aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals.

Around Dinder National Park (DNP) in eastern Sudan, climate change, land degradation and weak agricultural productivity have driven severe food insecurity. Communities increasingly rely on the park’s resources, causing extensive and unsustainable exploitation that degrades biodiversity, ecosystem services and community resilience. Overuse of park resources has intensified conflicts among farmers, pastoralists, communities and park authorities, and increased human–wildlife clashes. Weak governance and poor natural resource management further worsen these pressures and contribute to persistent food insecurity.

The April 2023 conflict between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) has compounded the crisis. Pre-existing food insecurity—already affecting roughly 20.3 million people in 2022 per IPC assessments, with 14 million in IPC Phase 3 and 6.3 million in Phase 4—has been aggravated by soaring food prices, sharply reduced production, constrained humanitarian access and forecasts of below-average rainfall, all of which threaten crops, livestock and water availability and risk heightened competition and conflict over scarce resources.

Conflict-driven displacement has intensified pressures on DNP and surrounding states. Reports from late 2023 indicate a large and growing internally displaced population (IDPs) across Sudan; Sennar State alone hosts a significant share, with surveys reporting over 500,000 IDPs there. IDP settlement near the park increases demand for land, fuel and food, and many rely on biomass for cooking as butane gas becomes unaffordable. Inaccessible rangelands in areas such as Blue Nile State further concentrate pressure on park and adjacent resources.

In the absence of alternative livelihoods, unplanned mechanized large-scale rainfed cultivation has expanded into traditional cultivation, grazing lands and the park itself, causing soil degradation and destroying seasonal wildlife habitats. Wildlife is often killed when returning to cleared wet-season habitats. Illegal hunting, poaching, unsustainable wood collection, fishing, and land clearing for cultivation are widespread, threatening species, reducing tree cover, accelerating erosion and sedimentation, and blocking mayas and water feeders linked to the Dinder River. These losses reduce community capacity to adapt to climate shocks and create a reinforcing cycle of vulnerability and resource depletion.

The SAF–RSF conflict has also damaged critical infrastructure (healthcare, schools, water, power, communications) and precipitated widespread looting, diminishing access to essential goods and services and worsening malnutrition and food insecurity. Reports indicate the conflict threatens staple crop production nationwide.

In response, in September 2024 UNEP and the European Union signed an agreement to implement the “Enhancing Food Security and Climate Resilience of Rural Communities in and around Dinder National Park” (Dinder Project). The project aims to strengthen sustainable, resilient livelihoods and food security for communities most affected by food insecurity, climate change and conflict. Its approach emphasizes livelihood diversification, productivity and sustainability to increase food security and incomes, reduce vulnerability to shocks, and lessen pressure on the park. The project also highlights community roles in co-managing shared resources and will promote shared natural resource governance and conflict-resolution mechanisms. The strategy will be delivered through three defined pathways focused on livelihoods, governance and ecosystem protection.  

• Improved sustainability and productivity of livelihoods through climate-smart agro-ecological practices, which will improve livelihoods in general and food security in specifically.
• Improved resilience to climate change through strengthened climate information and anticipatory actions for food security. 
• Increased equal and sustainable access to natural resources in order to contribute to food security and mitigate conflicts

Through this project, UNEP aims to enhance natural resources management and preserve the biodiversity and ecosystems in and around Dinder National Park and contribute to the reduction of natural resource-based conflicts. This will be achieved through promoting conflict-sensitive and sustainable natural resources management in and around the park, strengthening natural resources governance structures and capacities at the community level as well as local and state technical level authorities. 

Given the project area is a National Park, with the situation described above, it is important to document the baseline conditions through Audio-Visual content before project activities begin. To achieve this, UNEP Sudan plans to engage an Audio-Visual Specialist to produce high-quality visual and narrative documentation of current conditions, community contexts, and environmental challenges. This documentation will serve as a key reference for assessing project impact, improving transparency, and supporting the implementation of the Knowledge and Information Sharing Strategy.

Objective:

The objective of this consultancy is to produce a comprehensive visual record including video clips and photos capturing baseline environmental and community conditions in and around Dinder National Park. The outputs will support project monitoring, enhance visibility and transparency, and contribute to knowledge and information sharing on the project’s progress and impact.

1. Work Assignments & Outputs:

The duties and responsibilities of this service are as followed:

1. Capture and document the environmental and community conditions of the project inside and outside Dinder National Park in coordination with UNEP team.
2. Conduct Interviews with communities, native administrations, and key stakeholders including women and youth in different villages. The interviews should allow interviewees to explain the context in their own words.
3. Acquire photo/video shooting permission and security clearances if needed.
4. Submit 400 high-resolution photos at the end of the assignment to UNEP team with clear English/Arabic captions. 
5. Deliver final photos and video, and raw footage including relevant branding.

Key Documentation Themes:

1. The Natural Reserve:
   • Biodiversity status.
   • Environmental challenges such as drought, deforestation, overhunting, and
2. Vegetation degradation.
   • Aerial drone footage showcasing the reserve’s landscape, habitats, and ecological extent.
3. Local Communities: 
   • Livelihood patterns, economic and social challenges.
   • The interaction and relationship between local residents and the reserve ecosystem.
4. Wildlife Conservation Forces:
   • Highlighting their critical role in protecting the reserve and preventing encroachments.
   • Field documentation of the operational and logistical challenges they face.
5. Interviews:
   • Officials from the government counterpart. 
   • Communities’ representatives from villages inside and outside the park including women and youth.
   • Environmental and development experts.

Additional requirements

1. Service provider will work on his/her own computer(s) and use his/her own office resources and materials in the execution of this assignment. The fee shall therefore be inclusive of all costs.
2. It might be required to provide a list of equipment for clearances and permissions depending on locations/villages that will be visited.
3. Consultant may be required to work on Fridays and Saturdays based on the requirements of the assignment.
4. The photographs should include the following information:
   1. Location: Name the place/city/village where the picture is taken.
   2. Date: Provide the date the photo is captured using the format YYYY-MM-DD, separate from the photographs (dates should not be printed on the photographs).
   3. Description of the subject: what is the action/activity in focus.
   4. People/Interviewee: Who is depicted in the photos, including names, age, location, job, contact details (telephone/email address).
   5. Permission: Ensure permission to use the photo(s) on UNEP products is received from the subject(s). Prefer a voice recording to confirm approval.
5. Video footage (including interviews) will include the following information:
   1. Location: Name the place/city/village where the footage is taken.
   2. Date: Provide the date the footage is made using the format YYYY-MM-DD, separate from the footage (dates should not be printed on the video footage).
   3. Description of the subject: what is the action/activity in focus.
   4. People/Interviewee: Who is being interviewed in the video, including names, age, job, contact details (telephone/email address).
   5. Permission: Ensure permission to use the video footage on UNEP products is received from the subject(s). Prefer a voice recording to confirm approval.

ACADEMIC:

She/he must have a bachelor’s degree in film making, photography or relevant studies with 5 years’ experiences in photographing and videographing for similar projects/activities.

EXPERIENCE:

The successful candidate should possess the following experience and qualifications to be considered for the assignment:

• Proven record of storytelling/scriptwriting, methodology structuring, filming, video editing and other technical skills around video production – as well as clear, concise budgeting abilities in film production.
• Previous work experience in humanitarian and/or development contexts.
• Previous experience of conducting similar assignments for UN and/or I/NGOs in Sudan is essential.
• Translation and interpretation experience from English to Arabic and Arabic to English in film production.
• Able to produce and film on location without any other supervision except for liaison with the project team.
• Excellent technical capacity to ensure smooth and high-quality production (including availability of professional film production equipment and software).
• Proactive approach to delivering tasks.
• Ability to meet deadlines.
• Understanding of UNEP values, mandate and activities is preferred.
• Excellent interpersonal skills.
• Ability to plan and travel to field sites independently

LANGUAGE:

Fluency English and Arabic is required, including translation and interpretation from English to Arabic and Arabic to English.