Of Jonglei Canal project and South Sudan women

Betty Sunday is a sad woman. She sits in silence as she ponders over reports she has heard from local radio stations. She is wondering what is likely to happen as an outcome of the Jonglei Canal that the government plans to resume digging.

According to Ms Sunday who is also a woman representative, these environmental changes might contribute negatively to their daily lives. Several South Sudan women are strongly opposed to the move.

However, according to the research by Mariam Allam et al, the Jonglei Canal was designed to bypass the Sudd and route the proportion of water lost from the Nile River spill and evaporation in the swamps.

However, according to Ms Sunday, the resumption of the Jonglei Canal is more likely to affect the women from the host community of Bor, Bahrel el Jabel, and Bentiu Rubkuna among other areas.

Adding that “If the Jonglei Canal resumed then chances is that hydrological system getting affected is high and this might reduce rainfalls in the region, and it will affect water quality and sediment transportation,” Ms Sunday explained.

She continued to narrate that “Resumption of Jonglei Canal will affect us because it’s going to cause environmental change, climatic change, and first of all it’s also going to force some of us here to go and fetch water from a far distance because chances of water going back to the Nile are high and that means access to water will be one big problem.”

She goes on to say, “The impact in the long period will affect agriculture because the soil is fertile, this Sudd wetland is very important but if its dug then wildlife might migrate to other parts of the country, simply because they will lack enough water following activities on this canal.”

However, she further said that there are so many ways to settle the issue of the flood, that it shouldn’t be through digging the canal.

“We can try by making something to put this water, for instant restoring them in one place, and then when its dry season we can release the water, though more research is needed in this situation, my question to people who want to carry this digging out is that, was research carried out before?

A 2015 report sponsored by the United Nations Environmental Programme (UNEP), Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (New York), and the World Conservation Society and titled “The Economic, Cultural and Ecosystem Values of the Sudd wetland in South Sudan: An Evolutionary Approach to Environment and Development” issued a caution on the degradation of the wetland. “This unique natural feature has provided for the cattle cultures of South Sudan for millennia. We should err on the side of caution when considering degrading its known services for an unknown future without them,” says the report.

The Vice-Chancellor of the University of Juba John Akec has also launched the ‘Save the Sudd’ Social Media petition that will be submitted to the president’s office.  Prof Akec ‘s petition has already gained tens of thousands of signatures out of the required 100,000.

Meanwhile, Prof Akec added that the resumption of the canal would have serious repercussions on the delicate ecosystem of the Sudd region, including negative effects on the aquatic, wild and domestic plants and animals as well as interfere with the farming activities of the people in the region, potentially displacing them and women would bear the brunt giving their household roles.

“We will not have enough water and it will dry up and if it dries up, all the livelihoods that connected to that area, including fishing, resettlement and grazing will be lost,” Prof Akec said.

The Sudd covers about 6,370 square miles in the dry winter months and roughly double the area during the summer rains.

The White Nile gets stalled in the Sudd and about 17 BCM of water is lost through evaporation and transportation.

On the same note earlier this year, one of South Sudan’s Vice Presidents, Taban Deng Gai, called for the resumption of the Canal project to prevent flood disasters in Jonglei and Unity State.

Meanwhile, the Press Secretary of the Minister of Water Resources and Irrigation, Gattiek Wichar said that there will be no effect on the environment and instate it will mitigate the flooding and also help in creating avenues for infrastructural development.

He also added that the Ministry has already drafted the document and ready to be passed to the Council of Ministers soon

But the Minister of Environment and Forestry, Josephine Napwon Cosmos said earlier this year, that the Council of Ministers wouldn’t just pass it (document) without the approval of Parliament.

She added by dismissing the speculations alleging the government intends to resume digging of Jonglei Canal without a proper environmental assessment.

The digging of the Jonglei Canal began in 1978, and it was considered one of the most important integration projects between Egypt and Sudan but was opposed by South Sudanese. The purpose was to bring more water downstream for agriculture, industries, and domestic use in Egypt, but at the expense of draining the Sudd wetlands in the southern parts of the then Sudan.

Effect

The seasonal river flooded lands (Toichs) are yearly dynamic phenomena caused by seasonality in the charge of Bahr el Jebel and the geomorphology of the area.

The toichs are vital components of the grazing cycle for the cattle and the wildlife in particular during the dry season.

The permanent swamps, flooded throughout the year, are less economically valuable, though it is a refuge for wildlife.

Wildlife migrates from high land during the rainy season to rain-flooded grasslands at the end of the rains.

For the local people, livestock is an important part of the economy, and there is no alternative to the toichs in a grazing economy without recourse to irrigated grassland.

The idea of digging a canal through the Sudd to speed the flow of the water is a current political issue, but proposals for the Jonglei Canal and other major Nile Basins projects, go several generations back.

Problem analysis

River Nile discharges its water into the Sudd wetlands, a network of lakes, channels and swamps, which are characterised by high evaporation rates that have huge effects on water availability in the areas direct downstream.

The Jonglei Canal should create a positive effect on the downstream part of the Nile Basin but can create certain problems for people and flora and fauna in the Sudd area.

The diversion of the water may most likely cause the Sudd swamps and associated flood Plain to shrink which can cause the annual process of seasonal inundation from river-flooded grasslands (toichs produces species of grass). These sustain the livestock and the wildlife during the driest months of the year and can be interrupted by digging of the canal.

A severe decrease in the discharge into the Sudd would cause the disappearance of many lakes in the papyrus zone which causes a serious loss of fishing in the area.

The annual floods are crucial to the maintenance of the biological diversity and the ecosystem in the Sudd. This is also in line with key issues for Africa’s sustainable development outlined in the Africa Green Stimulus Programme on enhancing the conservation of biodiversity.

Draining water from the Sudd would reduce the swam area, but also wetland appropriate for grazing and wildlife habitat, thus affecting roughly 2 million people who live in the area.

The livelihood of the people would have altered because they are dominantly semi-nomadic and move livestock throughout the year.

The Jonglei Canal is likely to have a significant impact on climate change, groundwater recharges, silt and water quality.

This involves the loss of fish habitat and grazing areas which in turn will have serious implications for the people of the area.

Solutions

Environmental expert Deng Majak Chol suggested that investing in the relocation of the most affected population and communities to other regions that are unaffected by the ongoing large-scale flooding would help mitigate flooding.

He also added that the construction of higher, bigger and safer dykes around the key towns that are partially submerged would help protect towns that are still operational.

However, he further added that digging or renovation of existing dams like Fula would regulate water flow and flood control.

The authorities should listen to the plea of Jonglei women and shelve their plans to resume digging of the canal. Hopefully, environmental activists will feature the Jonglei issue in the upcoming COP 27 scheduled to take place in Egypt.

This article is part of African Women in Media (AWiM)/UNEP Africa Environment Journalism Programme