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Paper short abstract:

This paper examines how Sudanese communities affected by the April 2023 war adapted to crises by blending traditional practices with modern innovations. It highlights the use of solar panels, Starlink devices, and resource-efficient tools like goat-skin vessels, wood-fueled ovens, and kerosene lante

Paper long abstract:

The April 15, 2023, war in Khartoum and its ensuing power outages have reignited traditional practices in Sudanese communities, blending local ingenuity with modern adaptations to confront severe hardships. This paper explores how citizens in war-affected zones and rural villages, where modern amenities are scarce, draw on indigenous knowledge and resource-efficient technologies to sustain livelihoods during crises.

To address disrupted communication networks, communities have adopted Starlink devices and solar panels, providing limited electricity for mosques and mobile phone charging. These systems are complemented by the return of traditional tools and techniques such as kerosene-fueled lanterns, goat-skin vessels ("Sean" or "Qirbah") for dairy production, wood-fueled ovens, and charcoal-powered irons. These adaptations reflect the resilience of communities and their ability to navigate intersecting crises through sustainable practices and innovative solutions.

By examining these practices, this paper highlights how Sudanese communities balance natural resource dependency with ingenuity to confront crises. These insights contribute to broader discussions of structural transformation and economic diversification in Africa, offering pathways to environmentally and socially sustainable strategies that address the twin challenges of ecological crises and economic vulnerabilities.