The Increasing Menace of Desertification in South Sudan
By Beek Mabior, Nairobi, Kenya
Saturday, November 14, 2020 (PW) — There is a serious growing crisis of desertification in South Sudan. The country is massively experiencing both the climatic variation and human activities which’re hugely responsible for desertification on earth. South Sudan is facing a greatest probability of experiencing devastating desertification that has never been seen in centuries if nothing serious is done to curb climatic variability and human activities that’re the main causes of desertification according to the scientists, environmentalists and geologists. Moreover, desertification is a big issue that needs to be address and if we take time to address it right now.
We can be able to prevent many cataclysmic challenges of desertification that may arise in the future. Additionally, desertification is the spread of desert-like conditions in both semi-arid and arid conditions. It is an outcome of pressure from both climatic variation and human activities in a particular place. Furthermore, these factors are trigger by the population increase, the impact of extreme poverty and market economy.
Population levels of vulnerable drylands have a close relationship with development pressure on land by the man-made activities which’re one of the major causes of desertification. There’s a vicious circle by which many folks live in the drylands areas, they put on vulnerable land by their agricultural activities and as a result, they cause land degradation.
In addition to that, experts have warned that South Sudan is susceptible to desertification based on the climatic variation and human activities that the country is experiencing right now and I agree with their prediction and analysis entirely. As anenvironmental activist, nationalist and keen observer, I can see that there’s a high possibility that our country will experience a calamitous desertification in the future if we can’t take early effective and efficient measures to prevent it in South Sudan.
Furthermore, if you look at the ongoing rampant deforestation, mining activities, climate change, famine, flooding andextraction of petroleum in South Sudan. Then you’ll see a definite desertification in the making in South Sudan without any doubt.
Additionally, there’re many factors that cause desertification in the world and they include: overgrazing, deforestation, mining, global warming, over-cultivation, soil pollution, natural calamities, excessive consumption and overpopulation and etc. South Sudan is facing most the above factors and there is a clear indication that our country is on the path to disastrous desertification and it is incontestable. Moreover, our government, international development partners, humanitarian agencies and our resilient citizenry need to take action to preventdesertification in our dearest nation.
Additionally, there’re many ruinous effects that come with desertification and they include: loss of biodiversity, abject poverty, destruction of natural habitats, hunger, flooding, loss of fertile soils for the agriculture, overpopulation, decrease in crops yields, endangerment and extinction of species and etc. We don’t need the above things to occur in our country as a result of desertification in the future and we must do whatever we can to prevent desertification in South Sudan.
Furthermore, there’re many effective and efficient strategies that can be used to prevent desertification and they include: reforestation, criminalize or minimize deforestation, restricting mining activities or make them strictly observe environmental protection, sustainable practices to desertification, policy changes to different kind of land use, water management, drip irrigation and magic stones etc.
Additionally, we need to take environmental issues seriously in South Sudan. Because there’sno life without environment. Environment is part and parcel of humans’ lives and if we destroy our environment, then we’vedestroy part of our lives as well. We don’t need desertification tohappen in South Sudan and this is why we as South Sudan Environmental Advocates (SSEA) are doing whatever we can to raise awareness and sensitization about the possibility and dangers of desertification in South Sudan in the future.
If our nation ignores the dangers and probability of desertification in South Sudan, then it’ll be catastrophic if it occurs in the future. If you look at our country’s three regions of Equatoria, Barl el Ghazal and Upper Nile, then you’ll notice what the scientists, environmentalists and geologists are warning us about.
Lastly, I’d like to take this golden opportunity to thank his excellency the governor of Central Equatoria state, Emmanuel Adil Anthony for his patriotic gubernatorial decree and decision to banned illegal logging in Central Equatoria state and that ispraiseworthy indeed.
Other states’ governors need to follow hisexemplary work. Also, the government of South Sudan need to allocate sufficient budget to the ministry of environment so that they’ll continue with their nationalistic task of protecting our environment in South Sudan.
The author is the National Project Coordinator of South Sudan Environmental Advocates (SSEA) and can be reach via his Email: beekmabior2020ssea@gmail.comWeb: www.sseasouthsudan.org
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