Sudan Red Sea Night

Red Sea Night: Sudan brings together the people working to protect Sudan’s coast and the marine community gathered in Edinburgh for one evening of focused conversation.

Sudan’s coast is one of the Red Sea’s quiet treasures. It is home to Sanganeb, the only atoll in the Red Sea; to Dungonab Bay, a refuge for dugongs and manta rays; and to coastal communities who have lived with this sea for generations. Together they form a UNESCO World Heritage site that rarely makes it into conversations about ocean protection.

This season, that coast is carrying the brunt of overlapping pressures: a war that has reshaped life around Port Sudan, a warming and more erratic climate, and a strong El Niño expected to last into early 2027.

SUDIA (Sudanese Development Initiative) will share how it has applied co-management at Dungonab Bay, working alongside the Wildlife Conservation Forces, the communities of Dungonab and Mohamed Qol to keep protection going through years of conflict and limited resources. The Conflict and Environment Observatory (CEOBS) will present research on how the war and recent floods have affected the coast, from pressures around Port Sudan to flood sediment reaching reefs north of the city.

From there, the room opens up: what these findings mean for marine life and the people who depend on it, where the gaps in protection lie, and what support, partnerships and research could help close them.

What to expect

Sudanese coffee and food at Khartoum Cafe!

Presentations and stories from the people protecting Sudan’s marine parks

Context on how conflict and climate disasters are affecting the coast

Open, curious conversation with marine scientists, practitioners and Edinburgh’s ocean community

Kindly note:Entry is free. Guests are responsible for their own food and drink, ordered and paid for at Khartoum Cafe. Places are limited, so please register to save your spot.

Event Partners:The evening will be facilitated by Marine Conservation & Climate Change Communications Week. Planned by the Sudan Climate Collective in collaboration with SUDIA (Sudanese Development Initiative) and Sudan Marine Parks, with spotlights by the Conflict and Environment Observatory (CEOBS).

Opportunities to donate to SUDIA will be available with donation matching by Conservation Allies to support joint patrols and sea turtle nesting monitoring involving WCF, the Fisheries Administration and local communities.