Is South Sudan's Sudd Wetland at a Fork in the Road?
Publisher: Conflict and Environmental Observatory
Author(s): Eoghan Darbyshire
Date: 2021
Topics: Extractive Resources, Governance, Land, Livelihoods, Programming, Renewable Resources
Countries: South Sudan
South Sudan’s totemic Sudd wetlands are at a fork in the road. Down one path lies further oil exploration and drainage for hydropolitical gain. Down the other path is preservation, keeping oil in the ground for peace, and for the full capitalisation of the ecosystem services the wetland can provide, protecting livelihoods against climate change. Now is the time for governmental decisions on which path to take, and this will be heavily influenced by the type of support and incentives offered by international donors.
In this report we explore these two pathways in more detail and the accompanying knowledge gaps. In an accompanying article we investigate how the seasonal extent of the Sudd is – or isn’t – linked to pastoralist conflict.