Attachments
Introduction
This climate change profile is designed to help integrate climate actions into development activities. It complements the publication ‘Climate-smart = Future-Proof! – Guidelines for Integrating climate-smart actions into development policies and activities’ and provides answers to some of the questions that are raised in the step-by-step approach in these guidelines.
The current and expected effects of climate change differ locally, nationally and regionally. The impacts of climate change effects on livelihoods, food and water security, ecosystems, infrastructure etc. differ per country and region as well as community and individual, with gender a particularly important vulnerability factor. This profile aims to give insight in the climate change effects and impacts in South Sudan, with particular attention for food security and water. It also sheds light on the policies, priorities and commitments of the government in responding to climate change and important climate-relevant activities that are being implemented, including activities being internationally financed.
Summary
South Sudan is a landlocked country located in the east-central region of Africa with an estimated population of 12.2 million. Nearly 87% of the South Sudanese population depends on agriculture, livestock, and forestry, yet these sectors contribute very little to the national economy. Food imports support most of the urban population. South Sudan is experiencing substantially warmer and drier weather, and the combination of these effects leads to increasing evapotranspiration and more droughts. Since 1980, decreasing rainfall has been accompanied by rapid increases in temperature on the order of more than 1°C. This warming, which is two and a half times greater than the global warming, is making ‘normal’ years effectively drier. Rapid population growth and the expansion of farming and pastoralism under a more variable climate regime could dramatically increase the number of at-risk people in Sudan over the next 20 years.
Climate change will aggravate South Sudan’s fragile situation and may contribute to existing tensions and conflict.