Water security in South Sudan and the case of Jonglei Canal
By John Deng Ateny, Perth, Western Australia
September 24, 2016 (SSB) — According to United States Geological Survey USGS, water is one of the nation most valuable natural resources. It is involved in all aspects of human life. Water has many societal benefits, it is the source of drinking water, home to a number flora and fauna and it support national economy.
However, for the resource that is so widely used, so important to human health and very vital to national economy, it is one of the resources that is poorly understood and misconceived in South Sudan. So misconceived is it, that its occurrence and the related projects; Jonglei Canal Project (JCP) are still shrouded with conspiracies and misinformation today.
National water supply is a combination of surface and ground water, but in case of South Sudan, the main source of water is River Nile. While there are number of ground water reservoirs, lack of knowledge, negligence, lack of initiatives and nonexistence underground water survey and robust hydrological models has contributed to over reliance on rivers.
Water security on the other hand is the capacity of a population to safeguard sustainable access to adequate quantities of acceptable quality water for sustaining livelihoods, human well-being, and socio-economic development, for ensuring protection against water-borne pollution and water-related disasters, and for preserving ecosystems in a climate of peace and political stability. This article will use Jonglei Canal Project to highlight water crisis across borders and its ramifications, how critical is the case of water security in South Sudan as it is in the other riparians states today.
Intended in 1901 and proposed in 1959 immediately after Khartoum government signed a second Nile Waters Agreement with Egypt, the two governments devised the project duped, Jonglei Canal. The canal was mainly designed to increase the water flow downstream to the two riparian states of Egypt and Sudan by diverting the Nile natural path away from Sudd. The two states agreed to split the additional waters from the project in equal halves.
The purpose of the canal is to harness the large amount of water that flows into Sudan from East Africa through the swamp and rapidly channel it through the canal as opposed to following its slower natural path through the marshes and wetlands of the Sudd, causing much of the water to be lost to transpiration and evaporation en-route North
Sudd, the world largest wetland, slows down the flow of the Nile hence reduces the volume of water that reaches Egypt. A number of literatures estimated half of the White Nile waters passing through Sudd is lost to plants absorption, animals use, transpiration and evaporation. As a barrier, sudd limits the water consumption down the stream.
The Khartoum-Cairo proposal of Jonglei Canal was not well received in Southern Sudan (current South Sudan). Southerners protested the proposal in 1974; Juba riot, but that was met with brutal and deadly force by the government. However, consternation within the local communities, scepticism and opposition from educated Southerners remains. Having suppressed the opposition, Lucy; the bucket-wheel commenced excavation in 1978.
But the lingering opposition among others caused unrest in Southern Sudan and specifically in the project area of Jonglei before project completion. Despite persistence, the project halted its operation in 1983 but eventually ceased the operation in 1984 due to full blown warfare in the region.
As seen from the Jonglei Canal Case study, water shortages, poor water quality and floods influence and unfavourable policy causes strains on diplomatic relations among countries and increases tensions between regions. As water crisis becomes more prevalence all over the world, distraction from important and beneficial policies rises.
Water problems alone does not usually results in instability, however, when water insecurity is combined with poverty, neglect, social tensions, environmental degradation, weak political institution, ineffectual leadership results in strain relationship and eventual instability. Water crisis are not only limited to outside factors, some internal factors such as lack of financial investment, technical deficiency, over reliance on shared rivers controlled by upstream or downstream countries also cause national water insecurity.
In general, as the national water demand rises, equitable water distribution is reduced. This requires engineering, hydrogeological and geomorphological solutions. These measures include transfer of water from rivers and fro streams for local use. Such solutions threaten raise tensions. Solutions design to safeguard waters are expensive and technically demanding. Lack of technical knowhow and water data leads to unintended risks such as the contamination of freshwater aquifers due to ignorance.
Currently, South Sudan has the opportunity to seek expertise both locally and expatriate to develop sound policies for managing water resources. The need to create national data for ground and surface water has never been more important. Investing in water by both public and private businesses is imperative. Improved water management must focus on developing strong institutions including the capacity to treat water and encourage efficiency.
South Sudan will benefit from developing and implementing legal institutions that manage, address and resolve issues on shared water disputes while integrating and promoting economically beneficial projects. Urgent development of hydrological model and water distribution nationwide will help users better understand water resource.
It is incumbent upon the governments and related organisations to develop efficient dissemination methods. Doing so will impact positively in the national economy, food security, diplomatic relations and improved quality of lives.
Disclaimer, this paper is not purporting or critiquing the negative impact of JCP nor is it highlighting the benefits of the project, but is only using the project as the example to the need of public and relate experts about water crisis challenges facing South Sudan. The writer is an earth-scientist with interest in resource management and environmental conservation. Contact: jateny@gmail.com
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