Kiir laments rampant environmental degradation

President Salva Kiir has lamented environmental degradation resulting mainly from human activities to earn living in South Sudan.

Kiir was speaking at the annual World Environment Day celebration in the capital, Juba under the theme: “Ecosystem Restoration to address climate change and biodiversity degradation in the world.”

In South Sudan, the government added the phrase “for sustainable livelihoods” to the theme to raise awareness among the citizens and advocate for environmental protection due to surge in deforestation   in recent years of the country’s economic crisis.

“I can sadly admit that our environment is degrading at a rapid rate, this environmental degradation comes partly from human activities such as charcoal burning. Other contributing factors include disregard from the public of proper waste disposal methods,” said Kiir.

South Sudan in the recent years, has been witnessing severe lumbering, charcoal production and poor waste disposal in urban centers, as well as environmental oil pollution which has resulted to children born deformed in oil producing areas.

Josephine Napon Cosmas, Minister of Environment and Forestry said there was need for peace to stop deforestation by armed men across the country which could lead to potential severe food insecurity in the country in years to come.

“Our Forest are finishing and we have so many challenges – As a ministry, we have challenges of insecurity. When you go to the forest, the people who are cutting and destroying the tress are people with guns and they are involved in the destruction of forests,” said Ms. Napon.

She added “In the Republic of South Sudan, there is only one source of energy –the firewood, most of our people depend on the forests,” with citizens not adhering to the rule of replacing the cut trees.

President Kiir however, called on the Ms. Napon and Juba City Council to ensure proper management of waste, including protecting of the River Nile from polution.

“These plastic bottles, which poses a serious harm to River Nile ecosystem, especially of stream, including the saw my land. To protect the Nile as the source of our livelihood, I am calling upon the Ministry of Environment and Forestry to work in collaboration with the Juba City to address this issue,”

“Pease use all the administrative tools at your disposal to address this issue of plastic bottles and other waste in the Nile once and for all. Given the importance of environmental protection,” said Kiir,” he said.

President Kiir further launched a number of documents as a way forward to ensure environmental sustainability, including National Communication to the United Nations Framework Convention for Climate Change, the National Biodiversity Action Plan under the convention on biological diversity, National Capacity Self-Assessment Report and Action Plan for Real Convention