This study proposes a bottom-up rural livelihood planning system, using GIS as a participatory planning tool. A comprehensive livelihood planning emerges from a comprehensive understanding of the livelihoods situation. Lack of community participation toward decision-making and preparation of rural development planning in urban centers outside the affected villages in Sudan causes policy failure in livelihoods development. The Participatory Geographic Information System (PGIS) potential has been recognized. It can be extremely useful if it is applied to the development of sustainable livelihoods and the reduction of poverty in a participatory approach. However, as a result of a lack of information about public knowledge, data sharing, and geospatial data, Sudan has been slow to adopt this technology. In this research, by using the Participatory Rural Approach and the Geographic Information System (GIS) as a geographic database, planning, and monitoring tool in qualitative methodology, we can gain an understanding of the conditions of rural livelihoods in order to enhance the rural livelihoods planning with the help of the Livelihoods-Framework and Livelihoods Enhancement Action Plan techniques.

1. Akshara Network. (n.d.). Livelihoods Enhancement Action Plan (LEAP). Retrieved from https://bit.ly/34OA8hH
2. Ali, A. (2009). Current status of GIS in Sudan. In 18th United Nations Regional Cartographic Conference for Asia and the Pacific, Bangkok, Thailand.
3. Arunplod, C. (2019). A social encouragement in risk awareness using volunteered geographic information and scenario-based analysis. Journal of Advanced Research in Social Sciences and Humanities, 4(6), 232-238. doi:https://doi.org/10.26500/jarssh-04-2019-0605
4. Barrett, C., Reardon, T., & Webb, P. (2001). Nonfarm income diversification and household livelihood strategies in rural Africa: Concepts, dynamics, and policy implications. Food Policy, 26(4), 315–331. doi:https://doi.org/ 10.1016/s0306-9192(01)00014-8
5. Bebbington, A. (1999). Capitals and capabilities: A framework for analyzing peasant viability, rural livelihoods and poverty. World Development, 27(12), 2021–2044. doi:https://doi.org/10.1016/s0305-750x(99)00104-7
6. Campagna, M., & Deplano, G. (2002). Public participation gis for re-development support in European historic city centres. In 7th International Symposium Proceedings on Information Technology in Urban and Spatial Planning and Impacts of ICT on Physical Space, Vienna, Austria.
7. Cao, S., Wang, X., Song, Y., Chen, L., & Feng, Q. (2010). Impacts of the natural forest conservation program on the livelihoods of residents of northwestern China: Perceptions of residents affected by the program. Ecological Economics, 69(7), 1454–1462. doi:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecolecon.2009.04.022
8. De Janvry, A., Sadoulet, E., & Zhu, N. (2005). The role of non-farm incomes in reducing rural poverty and inequality in China (CUDARE working paper 1001). Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics, Berkeley, CA.
9. El Harizi, K., Zaki, E., Prato, B., & Shields, G. (2007). Understanding policy volatility in Sudan. Retrieved from https://bit.ly/3eEfPrB
10. Haggblade, S., Hazell, P., & Reardon, T. (2010). The rural non-farm economy: Prospects for growth and poverty reduction. World Development, 38(10), 1429–1441. doi:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.worlddev.2009.06.008
11. Hanson, A., & Abresch, J. (2014). Critical information literacy in the geographic and information sciences. In M. Khosrow-Pour (Ed.), Encyclopedia of information science and technology (p. 3103-3112). Hershey, PA: IGI Global.
12. Jacquelyn, C. (2010). The place of pluriactivity in Brazil’s agrarian reform institutions. Journal of Rural Studies, 26(1), 8593. doi:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jrurstud.2009.07.001
13. Lanjouw, P., & Feder, G. (2001). Rural non-farm activities and rural development: fromexperience towards strategy (Tech. Rep.). Washington, DC, WA: World Bank.
14. Quan, J., Oudwate, N., Pender, J., & Martin, A. (2001). Gis and participatory approaches in natural resources research. In Socio-economic methodologies for natural resources research. best practice guidelines. Oxfordshire, UK: Natural Resources Institute.
15. Reardon, T., Stamoulis, K., Balisacan, A., E., C. M., Berdegue, J., & Banks, B. (1998). Rural non-farm income in developing countries: Importance and policy implications, in the slate of food and ap’culture (Tech. Rep.). Rome, Italy: Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations.
16. Sontheimer, S., Callens, K., & Seiffert, B. (1999). Conducting a pra (participatory rural appraisal) training and modifying PRA tools to your needs: An example from a participatory household food security and nutrition project in Ethiopia. Retrieved from https://bit.ly/2VlSQKd
17. Sunderlin, W. D., Angelsen, A., Belcher, B., Burgers, P., Nasi, R., Santoso, L., & Wunder, S. (2005). Livelihoods, forests, and conservation in developing countries: An overview. World Development, 33(9), 1383–1402. doi:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.worlddev.2004.10.004
18. Sutiono. (2018). Dynamic equilibrium as indonesias defense diplomacy geo-strategy to address China-US sphere of influence dualism in ASEAN. International Journal of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences, 4(4), 186-193. doi:https://dx.doi.org/10.20469/ijhss.4.10004-4
19. World Bank. (2009). From poor areas to poor people. chinas evolving poverty reduction agenda: An assessment of poverty and inequality in China (Tech. Rep.). Washington, DC, WA: Poverty Reduction and Economic Management Department.
20. Yadav, C., Lal, S., & Lal, K. (2014). Instructive indicators of sustainable livelihood in poverty moderation: A case study. IOSR Journal of Humanities and Social Science, 19(1), 127-142.

Hassabo, A. M. H. (2019). Geographic information system as a tool for rural livelihoods enhancement planning (Case study of Alosylat Region -Shareg Alnil-Sudan). International Journal of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences, 5(5), 196–207. doi: https://dx.doi.org/10.20469/ijhss.5.20005-5