Dredging Sudd Wetlands could be disastrous if rushed- report

Dredging Sudd Wetlands could be disastrous if rushed- report

An assessment report into the Sudd Wetlands ecosystem revealed shades of danger if the dredging of the Jonglei Canal proceeds without proper analysis of the risk factors. 

The assessment report was launched by the Vice President of Service Cluster, Hussein Abdelbagi, on Monday, as part of part of the celebration of World Environment Day following a presentation by a consultant, Peter Gilruth, who was contracted to work with the ministry of environment and forestry.

According to the findings of the rapid assessment, the Jonglei Canal Project is expected to have detrimental effects on people’s well-being, means of subsistence, and wetlands ecosystems if it proceeds.

Although the proposed water diversion through the Jonglei Canal would supply water for downstream needs; it could also have an impact on the local micro-climate and result in less water being available for the nearby villages.

Loss of biodiversity with effects on the fish economy may be one of the other effects. It is likely to expel the pastoralist communities, hence, distorting the prevailing cultural values around the wetland.

 “The increase frequency and duration of drought that is projected for South Sudan would only exacerbate the situation,” the report notes.

According to the report, the Sudd is ‘‘quite resilient to variations in rainfall when combined with other drivers such as migration to the Sudd and associated changes in water demand, and the impact of variable precipitation across sectors will be magnified especially in the drier years.’’ On the other hand, increases in precipitation would likely test the Sudd’s sponge-like ability to absorb the excess rainfall.

The Ramsar Convention on Wetlands, which was signed in 1971 in Ramsar, Iran, is one of the treaties that the government of South Sudan is advised to comply with. An intergovernmental agreement known as the Convention on Wetlands establishes the guidelines for domestic action and global collaboration in the conservation and judicious use of wetlands and their resources.

The convention has been ratified by over 170 nations, including South Sudan, which did so in October 2013.

Given the importance of the natural resources and their contribution to ecosystem, health and human wellbeing, such as the pastoralism, livestock, and other benefits accrued from the Sudd. The report also urged the government to employ a resilient management strategy combining action, science, and learning from best practices in the Sudd.

Additionally, it advises the government to do the environmental and social impact studies that the Ramsar Convention mandates for infrastructure projects in order to help the government maintain the integrity of the Sudd ecosystem.

 “Rigorous environmental and social impact assessments based on credible scientific information should be conducted before embarking upon infrastructure projects. Such ESIAs should consider impacts to livelihoods, security issues, population displacement and degradation of ecosystem services among others.”

The government is also advised to evaluate the policies, practices, and effects of the potential reactivation of the Jonglei Canal. The proposals should be based on the findings of an ESIA with meticulous scientific data collection and analysis. 

The recommendations also include deploying early warning systems for flood and drought, enhancing flood management strategies, reviving local economies, and lessening uncertainty by encouraging scientific research.

The Minister of Environment and Forestry, Josephine Napwon, argued that the country would benefit a lot from the preservation of the Sudd Wetlands.  She stated that it is crucial to adhere to regional accords about the Nile water by consulting with nations like Uganda before embarking on the project of Jonglei Canal.

‘‘As the ministry, we are only preserving and protecting the environment.  We will not accept anything that harms the environment as a ministry,’’ Napwon said.

‘‘Our position will always be one and we will always stick to [it] unless the government comes up with another decision that has to be a bold decision and from both the parliament and the executive, and then we will always give our other part.’’

The Sudd wetland has non-economic worth estimated to be over $3.3 billion. The Sudd wetland’s support for distinctive and irreplaceable cultures like the Dinka, Nuer, and Shilluk is one of its greatest assets.

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