South Sudan is the world’s most vulnerable country to climate change and also the one most lacking in coping capacity.1 Most of the harm from climate change will come in the form of water: increased frequency of droughts and floods, changes in flow patterns in rivers, lower water quality, and impacts on groundwater availability. The South Sudanese have long dealt with these water-related risks, but today’s situation is different for two reasons. First, decades of conflict and insecurity have undermined communities’ ability to cope with water-related risks. Second, climate change is tremendously increasing the destructive potential of these risks. If unmanaged, these risks will lead to worsening impacts on food security; the movement of people; and the security of communities, ecosystems, and the economy. But therein lies opportunity: through improvements in water management, South Sudan can improve the lives and livelihoods of communities and better prepare for climate change.

This overview summarizes Rising from the Depths: Water Security and Fragility in South Sudan, a World Bank report exploring opportunities and tradeoffs for aligning South Sudan’s water investments and policies with its commitment to peace and stability. The report elevates water security as an issue critical for national development and stability, not just a humanitarian need. Focusing on water security for people, production, and protection, it shows that water insecurity is indeed an existential threat to South Sudan. South Sudan is a global hotspot for flood risk: it ranks seventh in the world for share of total country population exposed to river floods. The dramatic flood events of 2019, 2020, 2021, and 2022 are stark reminders of this extremely high exposure to flood hazards. Floods in 2021 affected between 800,000 and 1.2 million people, displaced more than 300,000 people, and caused economic damage of at least US$671 million.2 Although flood risks are capturing headlines, they are just one of the many threats from water insecurity. Lack of access to safe water supply and sanitation is a core concern for the dignity and well-being of millions of South Sudanese, with more than 60 percent of the population (about 6.6 million people) using unimproved sources, such as surface water and unprotected wells, and 75 percent (8.2 million people) practicing open defecation. South Sudan also experiences frequent droughts, especially in the southeast and northeast, which affect the mobility of pastoralists and farmers who rely on natural resources for their livelihoods. Moreover, lack of reliable irrigation and drainage, along with human-induced soil erosion, contribute to low agricultural productivity. Women and girls tend to be disproportionately affected by these water-related threats.

However, the story of water in South Sudan is also a story of opportunity. The report shows that South Sudan can harness the ubiquity of water as a tool for advancing national development and stability. Seasonal flooding sustains the livelihoods of at least 6 million people who live along the Nile and Sobat Rivers and the wide eastern and western floodplains. In the country’s agricultural areas, especially in the Equatoria region, increased water availability during the main crop-growing seasons through irrigation and improved land and water management can enhance yields and bolster food production. Interventions in water supply and sanitation reduce public health risks and the incidence of neglected tropical diseases and improve the personal safety of women and girls, thereby promoting school attendance, among other benefits.