Lack of Awareness Negatively Affecting Environment in South Sudan – Expert

By Staff Writer

The Acting Managing Director of the Nile Petroleum Corporation (NILEPET), Stanslaus Tombe says challenges like lack of awareness and budget allocation to the national ministry of environment and forestry is hindering execution of environmental projects in South Sudan

Speaking at an event to mark the World Environment Day on Saturday, Stanslaus Tombe said, “There are challenges that we have to overcome if we must restore our ecosystem in South Sudan including issues of ignorance, lack of awareness on environmental pollution and a ‘big’ problem of funding.”

According to Stanslaus, the budget allocated to the Ministries of environment is relatively small compared to other sectors.  

The Undersecretary at the National Ministry of Environment and Forestry, Joseph Africano Bartel in a tweet called on South Sudanese to embark on low carbon emissions development trajectory to reverse the impacts of climate change and to restore the ecosystem.

On her part, a climate change activist and the Executive Director for Future Savers Network Nyamach Hoth Mai claims that women and girls including children remain the most affected people by implications of environmental related issues.

“When we have drought, it’s women and girls who will look for water, firewood from distances and along the way they get attacked. Also children die yearly due to water pollution related diseases,” Nyamach Hoth said

On Friday, Environment and Forestry Minister, Josephine Napwon Cosmos called on South Sudanese to safeguard the environment to avoid the negative impact of climate change.

She said they will be launching a project of planting one hundred million trees in the near future.

This year’s World Environment Day on 5^th June 2021 was marked under the theme: “Ecosystem Restoration, the case of South Sudan.”