Pigi Community’s Concern on the Resumption of the Jonglei Canal Project: A Submission to Mr. Akoch Akuei Manheim, Chair of South Sudan Public Consultation and Awareness Committee on the Sudd Wetlands and the White Nile Water Resource Development and Management.
Abstract:
Tuesday, 19 July 2022 (PW) – The debate on the resumption of the Jonglei Canal project has been dragging on social media and other social domains over the last few months. His Excellency Salva Kiir Mayardit constituted South Sudan Public Consultation and Awareness on Sudd Wetlands and the White Nile Water Resource Development and Management Committee to solicit the public’s views to make an informed decision on this sensitive matter.
It is on this basis that the Intellectuals of Pigi Community made a wider consultation with women, youth, and intellectuals to provide people-centred perspectives on the far-reaching implications of the resumption of the Jonglei Canal Project.
The far-reaching negative implications of the Jonglei Canal Project are anchored on the empirical research-based evidence on the adverse impacts on the livelihoods of people, plants, and animals in the Sudd region where Pigi County falls.
This position paper has provided the background and statement of the problem, pertinent negative impacts, and key recommendations.
Finally, Pigi Community would like to extend heartfelt appreciation to H.E Gen.Salva Kiir Mayardit and his entire leadership for constituting the committee to collect the concerns of the citizens living in the Sudd region.
We hope the outcomes of this consultative process will enable the leadership of South Sudan to come up with a decision that may keep the people of South Sudan at heart for now and for the generations to come.
Look forward to a positive outcome.
God bless the Republic of South Sudan.
Background
Pigi County is situated in the Northwest of Jonglei State and the South of Upper Nile State and is geographically constituted by Atar and Khorfulus. It is the starting point of the Jonglei Canal which falls under the Sudd wetlands that lie between latitudes 6.5° N and 9.5° N and longitudes 30.167° E and 31.75° E (Mariam et al., 2018).
The region around Jonglei Canal is called the Sudd Region because of the thick layer of floating vegetation that covers the area. The Sudd wetland is 320 km wide by 400 km long. As the Nile River leaves the equatorial lakes and reaches a certain point in the Sudd area, it branches into two rivers, Bahr el Jebel and Bahr el Zarif (Mariam et al., 2018).
The Jonglei Canal project idea was conceptualized on the assumption that it would divert water from the vast Sudd wetlands of South Sudan to deliver more water downstream to Sudan and Egypt for agricultural usage. William Garstin, British Engineer, proposed the idea of the Jonglei Canal in 1904 – 1907 in support of creating more water channels for Egypt. To that effect, the government of Egypt carried out a feasibility study in 1946 (John,1979).
The idea was concretized between 1954 and 1959, leading to the Sudanese independence in 1956. However, the plan was halted until 1978, when the construction jump-started.
In early 1984 the Sudan People’s Liberation Army’s Jamus Battalion stopped the continuity of excavation of the Jonglei Canal Project. The construction of the Jonglei Canal Project was one of the key contentious issues that made the youth took the arms against the successive oppressive regimes in Khartoum ( SPLM,1983)
The condominium government that negotiated the political settlement from the colonial administration rule, leading to the independence of Sudan, never brought the issue of the Jonglei Canal project to the surface. The negotiators did not want to complicate the independence issues since Southern Sudanese took arms against Sudan in 1955.
John (1979) contended that the dispute over the Jonglei Canal and access to the Nile waters had been a contentious issue in the post-independence administration in Sudan. For instance, SPLA ceased the canal construction in 1984 because of its negative impact on the social, environmental, and economic implications on the people of Sudan, particularly South Sudan.
Therefore, Pigi community supports the SPLA/M initial position that “the construction of the Jonglei Canal and especially the plan to resettle two and a half million Egyptian Peasants, along the canal led to mass unrest in the South leaving three students dead and several politicians arrested”( SPLM Manifesto,1983.b).
The Southern Sudanese protested the resettlement of Egyptian peasants in the Southern region. The move by the then Sudan government was a political attempt to dismantle the Addis Ababa Agreement and ensure political crisis in Southern Region (SPLM Manifesto,1983.b).
The sparks of conflict in the region of the Nile and, in particular, the Jonglei Canal project continue to manifest themselves in the media, and those who support the resumption of the project could be regarded as the hostages of the malevolent government in Cairo (Doran, 2009).
Pertinent negative impacts of the Jonglei Canal:
Many scholars suggest the need for feasibility studies concerning the resumption of the Jonglei Canal construction. The feasibility studies will allow the reassessment and re-evaluation of the Jonglei Canal project resumption based on scientific and empirical evidence.
The technical feasibility study will determine to what extent the water losses can be reduced in the Sudd Region without adversely impacting the environment, health, and social and economic concerns about the flow of the Nile in the Sudd Region (Mariam et al. 2018).
2.1 Environmental impacts:
2.1.1 Lead to complex and catastrophic environmental degradation, such as the eradication of biodiversity (flora and fauna) in the Sudd region and changing migration routes of animals.
2.1.2 Cut-off animal migration routes and access to drinking water would lead to the emigration of wild animals from the Sudd region to the other regions.
2.1.3 Increased drought as the rivers dried up through the drainage of wetlands downstream to Sudan and Egypt would minimize rainfall, leading to catastrophic ecological collapse. This will consequently affect the biodiversity of both flora and fauna.
2.1.4 Drop-in groundwater levels may affect the hydrological system and reduce regional rainfall, water value, and residue transportation.
2.2 Social and Economic Impacts:
2.2.1 Collapse of the fishing industry, which is the livelihood of most of the communities along the Nile. The drying of grazing lands would lead to the extinction of both domestic and wildlife
2.2.2 Increase inter-communal conflict over water catchment areas for the pasture of animals, which would result in flashing points of cattle rustling as communities will be competing over the catchment areas.
2.2.3 Create mobility barriers between villages as it would divide the communities, thus creating social separation
2.2.4 Cause a barrier between formal settlements among the communities as the local communities will be displaced in their ancestral land
2.2.5 Reduce farming practices in the Sudd region, which may cause severe food insecurity.
2.3 Health Impacts:
2.3.1 The shortage of clean drinking leads to issues related to sanitation and hygiene, and food and nutrition
2.3.2 Shortage of water would reduce stream and river flows, thus increasing the concentration of pollutants in water which may be created an environmental impact on the population
2.3.3 Shortage of water would cause the West Nile Virus carried by mosquitoes which breed stagnant water, thus causing deadly malaria and other related diseases such as trachoma.
2.3.4 Quality of water for consumption by the local communities would be affected by a drop in groundwater levels that may consequently affect the hydrological system and reduce rainfall in the region, and it would affect water quality sediments passage.
2.3.5 The drainage would cause the Nile tributaries to run dry, leading to the shortage of water in the areas that are far away from the Nile, particularly in the Bhar El Ghazal and Equatoria regions, as most of the rivers in these regions are seasonal compared to the Upper Nile which has permanent rivers
2.3.6 The impact of the Jonglei Canal and the dredging of Sudd Wetlands would wipe away Pigi County being confluent of White Nile and Jonglei Canal. This would consequently have a detrimental impact on humans, animals, and plants.
Conclusion:
The resumption of the Jonglei Canal has become a concern that needs a feasibility study because of its anticipated damaging implications on the ecosystem. Therefore, a precautionary and preparatory feasibility study must take place before deciding whether to restart the project.
The main concern of the Jonglei canal project is social, economic, and political implications on the current and future generations of South Sudan.
Finally, the motive of all the agreements signed by the Condominium rule was to benefit Egypt in exchange for building a heather centre and providing training which is just nothing. The sudd land water is a valuable resource to the people of South Sudan, and it is their right.
Key recommendations:
4.1 The reconstruction of the Jonglei Canal project should be halted, and explore viable ways to tackle the flooding issue, not necessarily imposing construction of the Jonglei Canal Project, which will have dire consequences on communities.
4.2 Government to invest resources in environmental impact assessments and feasibility studies to tackle the issues related to climate change that contribute to flooding after three or four decades.
4.3 The government should establish an Independent Commission task force to solicit renowned nonpartisan research firms to carry out further feasibility studies and public awareness on any project related to the importance of water.
Undersigned:
1 Hon.Gabriel Mijak Abui
2 Hon. Miyom Monytoch Kam
3 Simon Tor Lem
4 William Sunday Tor
5 Musa Lem Them
6 Benjamin Mijok Mun
7 John Mayuat Monythoi
8 Peter Matai Kur
9 Abol Kiir Kon
10 Agok Lem Deng
11 Miyar E. De’Nyok
12 Peter Aleu Michar
13 Dhieu Dok Minyang
14 Matien Thiic GatKouth
15 Peter Ajak Thon
16 Francis Jeremiah Chuei
17 Mary Deng Gar
18 Simon Achuil Chuang
19 William Tim Monybuny
20 Karlo Kamic Minyiel
21 Yai Nuoi Thon
22 Thon Mathiang Thon
References:
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De Villiers, Marq. (2001). Water: The Fate of Our Most Precious Resource. Mariner Books.
Doran Captain. ( 2009). The Jonglei Can: A case study on the Water Security In Southern Sudan: Peace Operations Training Institute.
El Moghraby, A. I. and M. O. el Sammani.(1985). On the Environmental and Socio-economic Impact of the Jonglei Canal Project, Southern Sudan.” Journal of Environmental Conservation 12 (1): 41–8.
Furniss, Charlie. ( 2010). Draining Africa’s Eden”. Geographical.
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The Manifesto( 1983) The Sudan People’s Liberation Movement(SPLM)