Integrated Rural Development Initiatives: The Case of the White Nile Agricultural Services Project

This article presents the analysis of the experience of the White Nile Agricultural Services Project (WNASP) in Sudan. The project aimed to improve the performance of irrigation schemes, conserve the local environment and transform the farmers’ organizations into sustainable financial institutions. The article explains the development providers’ policies, strategies and approaches while implementing large-scale rural development initiatives in twenty four agricultural schemes in the White Nile State in Sudan. It discusses the various factors that affected the outcomes of the project interventions and demonstrates how the project’s strategies, local power relations, and poverty have affected popular participation in various activities and undermined the sustainability of development interventions.This article raises concerns about the project's approaches and plans in relation to sustainability of its interventions and the morality of its strategies as loan-based initiatives. The article concludes by identifying the challenges faced this project and provides recommendations to development providers on ways to enhance the success of interventions and ensure sustainability. The content of this article is based on an empirical study in which the researcher has utilized various research methods to examine secondary data and explore the participants’ perceptions and experiences.