By Dr. Jacob K. Lupai
OPINION – Vulnerability of communities is associated with climate variability and climate change. In this context, climate variability is associated with weather fluctuations in the short term while climate change reflects fluctuation in weather pattern over the long period. In South Sudan climate hazards are drought and extreme floods.
South Sudan has recently experienced devastating floods which have led to widespread loss of property, damage to infrastructure, the spread of waterborne diseases, notwithstanding the loss of livelihoods that has created a disastrous humanitarian situation. In view of this, it is appropriate to focus seriously on stopping the menace of floods in South Sudan in the present and in the future for the welfare of people.
Water is at the heart of human existence. It not only provides for household and cropping needs, but also provides a source of energy through hydropower schemes. It is worth noting that Africa hosts a large number of river basins shared by several states. For example, the Nile River basin is shared by eleven countries out of which South Sudan is one of them. It can be asserted that sub-Saharan Africa overall has large water resources for household, agricultural and energy needs. However, investment in infrastructure development is badly needed because some areas may suffer major shortfalls while others risk extreme bloods.
The recent extreme floods with the resultant humanitarian disaster in South Sudan confirm the urgency of investment in infrastructure development to stop the menace of floods. South Sudan is a country with an estimated area of 640,000 square kilometers and an estimated population of 12 million. It has six agroecological zones out of which two are where extreme flooding occurs. The two agroecological zones are the flood plains and, the Nile and Sobat corridor.
In the two agroecological zones livelihoods centre on high reliance on cattle and fish. The two zones make up over 50 per cent of South Sudan land area with also over 50 per cent of the population. This seems to confirm that the flood plains and, the Nile and Sobat corridor are potentially significant in the economic development of South Sudan. However, the area is prone to extreme flooding that severely impacts livelihoods, causing massive and extended internal migration of people to wherever higher grounds may be found.
The problem of extreme floods does not only affect the people of the flood plains and, the Nile and Sobat corridor, but the problem is also extended to those on adjacent higher grounds. As the floods produce internally displaced persons (IDPs), the problem is that the IDPs will migrate to resettle and occupy other people’s prime lands. For example, when the IDPs are pastoralists and resettle among farmers, the problem becomes obvious and may be a vicious conflict.
Pastoralists and farmers are not good bed fellows. The problem may be that pastoralists are unable to control their cattle grazing in fields that are planted with food crops. When this causes food insecurity it is likely to create a conflict between pastoralists and farmers. In view of this it is appropriate to look for a long-term solution. Resettlement of IDPs should be seen as a short-term measure. This is because no person would like to be an IDP for ever.
As may be seen, a long-term solution is needed to address the menace of floods in South Sudan. In responding to shifts in rainfall and extreme floods, there is a need for much more investment in infrastructure development in the flood plains and, the Nile and Sobat corridor.
For information, there are two major types of flood event. The first type of flood occurs during torrential rains when high levels of water overflow the River Nile and its tributaries. This is mainly during the rainy season. The second type of flood event is flash flooding which occurs from heavy localized rainfall during the rainy summer season. The two major types of flood event cause extreme floods in the two agroecological zones of flood plains and, the Nile and Sobat corridor in South Sudan.
When I was a young agricultural officer in Aweil Rice Scheme in the then Bahr el Ghazal Province, I was very impressed with how we could drive safely on dykes and work in well-constructed shelters in swampy areas where the rice grew. A network of dykes and a drainage system made this possible.
I am now beginning to imagine how will the flood plains and, the Nile and Sobat corridor look like when there is investment in infrastructure development. Specifically, investment should be in construction of a network of dykes to reclaim land from flood prone areas in the flood plains and, the Nile and Sobat corridor. Flood control should be taken seriously as a long-term solution to the menace of floods that cause enormous damage and humanitarian disaster to more than 50 per cent of the population every year. This is in addition to the problem of IDPs being too dependent on the state and may also create problems to host communities.
In these modern times and advanced technological development, people should not be again at the mercy of hostile nature that can be harnessed. With areas vulnerable to flooding, there should be dykes, dams and floodgates to provide defence against torrential rains. Construction of dykes will prevent flooding from water flowing into the area by the Nile and Sobat rivers. Dykes, drainage ditches, canals and pumping stations will all keep the flood plains dry for human habitation where mixed farming may flourish in order to achieve food security instead of the usual reliance on humanitarian handouts.
The Dutch are renown experts in dyke construction and land reclamation from the sea and from floods caused by rivers. It may be a good idea to consult with Dutch experts to make use of their technology in reclaiming the flood plains and, the Nile and Sobat corridor for permanent settlements of people and development of the area for a higher standard of living.
Incidentally, the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations Project Manager of Aweil Rice Scheme was a Dutch and my immediate supervisor was also a Dutch.
In conclusion, investment in infrastructure development, as a practice but not as a theory, to stop the menace of floods affecting more than 50 per cent of the population of South Sudan every year, will eventually make extreme floods history and a thing of the past which will only be a good lesson to learn in nation building.
The author can be reached at jklupai@googlemail.com.
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‘Opinion | Infrastructure development to stop the menace of extreme floods in South Sudan’
Dr. Jacob K. Lupai, opinion is always an opinion, however, opinions criminals criminals who have sold themselves and their souls to foreign interest groups, foreign masters and secret cabal criminals. Must be responded to with rage. you piece of fake doctors are big problems to South Sudan and the South Sudanese people
Is it lack of South Sudanese expertise in these fields or simply because of war of attrition being fought over South Sudan and over South Sudanese people that is the cause of delay in building of dykes in South Sudan?
Mr. Lupai are you not of those low life who been feeding off foreign NGOs teats all his life? “The Dutch are renown experts in dyke construction and land reclamation from the sea and from floods caused by rivers”
Chap, warnings, let any piece of South Sudanese piece low life ever ever again brings anything that is connected to our cloned so-called Arabs of North Sudan, Abeshas (so-called ethiopian) prostitutes, Bantuses, evil juus (so-called israelis) attack dogs, gulf Arab states’ financiers, white Americans, English people, their UN, their shifty NGOs, Dutches (Afrikaans) or Dutch in Netherlands. Norwegians, Italians, Portuguese, Irish, Indians, Pakistanis, Bangladeshis, Nepalese, Sri Lankans, Rwandans, Nigerians into our country, in the name of rebuilding South Sudan like 2005. And that South Sudanese will be killed with those pieces of sewers. Reasons, pure HATRED and RACISM.
‘They are unwelcome into our Nile valleys and plains, with their renown expertise in dyke construction and land reclamation from the sea and from floods caused by river bullshits’
Mr. Jacob K. Lupai,
You foreign puppets/stooges, thieves, traitors and cabals, have been a big pain to South Sudan and the South Sudanese people arses, with Mr. Riek Machar, Mr. Lam Akol, late Aduok Nyabe, Mr. Alfred Lado Gore.
Mr. Jacob K. Lupai, good old Dr or so-called Dr, flooding of Sudd and the surrounds, doesn’t start in Sobat and Naam tributaries do you get that piece that of low life? But eh Mr Jacob K. Lupai, did your then federalism project in South Sudan with Mr. Riek Machar finish chap?
South Sudan already a federal state, with ten states. But you foreign puppets/stooges, thieves, traitors and cabal were used to scream at the top of your treasonous lungs about democracy, federalism, rule of law, removal of the Jieng council of elders (JCEs), removal of Jenges/Dinkas of Equatoria. Or back three regions of Upper Nile, Bhar El Gazelles and Equatoria. Your boss, Mr. Riek machar and others staged the 15/12/2013 in Juba.
Your Mr. Riek Machar went and proclaimed formation of 21 states in South Sudan. In the hotels, bars and brothels of Adis Ababa, Abesh (so-called ethiopia). His opponent Mr. Salva Kiir went for 32 states,
‘You fellows and your foreign masters, and cabals screamed at the top of your treasonous lungs that South Sudan doesn’t have money to maintain 32 states, and that 10 states are good’
Mr. Jacob K. Lupai, where is the money South Sudan going to pay your ‘renown Dutch dyke constructors come from’ good old Dr?
Don’t tell us, that the money would be come from humanitarian aids and donations!
Here are the facts.
The evils in the US, the UK, their evil juus (so-called israel) attack dog, their gulf Arab states’ terrorist, their UN, their shifty humanitarian NGOs, their lackeys here in the IGAD countries, the East African community (EAC) and the African union (the AU).
They have plotted a dangerous scheme over South Sudan and the South Sudanese people.
That South Sudan would be tuned into a big farm to feed Middle East, East Africa and Africa and Europe. And that what is behind the so-called AGENDA 21, AGENDA 30, NOW SHIFTED to AGENDA 50, NEW WORLD ORDER, GOVERNMENT WITHOUT BORDERS, GOVERNMENT RUN THE UN, NGOs, HUMANITARIAN AID WORKERS, GOVERNMENT RUN BY MERCENARIES (dressed in UN uniforms) or SO-CALLED PEACEKEEPERS TO VULNERABLE SOUTH SUDANESE, TO PROMOTE DEMOCRACY, HUMAN RIGHTS my arse.
Good luck to them, that is going to happen under the sun or even million years.
They have over 40 million in our cloned so-called Arab North Sudan, nearly 100 millions in Abesh (so-called ethiopia) prostitute, 40 million in Kenya, nearly 30 million in Uganda, but they don’t have resources. They balance their countries budgets over the backs of South Sudan and the South Sudanese people.
And that is why South Sudanese people are being held hostage, Kakuma refugee camp, Northern Uganda, our Gambella region, these filthy so-called UN protection sites, here in Bor, Akoba, Nasir, Malakal, Juba, Bentiu, Wau Acholdit, Aburoc.
But evils in the US, the UK, their evil juus (so-called israel) attack dog, their gulf Arab states’ terrorist, their UN, their shifty humanitarian NGOs, their lackeys here in the IGAD countries, the East African community (EAC) and the African union (the AU) are wasting their damn times and our times.
“Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations Project Manager of Aweil Rice Scheme was a Dutch and my immediate supervisor was also a Dutch”
Food source is what the cabal of Rockefeller family, Rothschild, Bill gate, Rothchild, Rockefeller, Society of Jesuits (Roman catholic military sect), House of Malta, House of Kissinger, shareholders of NATO alliance, bondholders of US so-called military industrial complex (MICs), their multinationals, big banking cartels, their big corporations, their massive mass media propaganda machine and their other subsidiaries are after.
Mr. Jacob K. Lupai lowly informed & bunch of foreign puppets/stooges, thieves, traitors and cabal idiots. I am civil engineer, I studied in those pieces of shits best Engineering colleges, I worked with them and I know their bullshits through and through, you pieces of fake doctors have to be very careful with devil worshipers, bloodsucking vampires, cabals, vermin/parasites/viruses/pests>>>>