Home / Environment / South Sudan Floods Force Island Building
South Sudan Floods Force Island Building
14 Dec
Summary
- Communities build islands with plants and mud to combat floods.
- Climate change causes catastrophic, persistent flooding in South Sudan.
- Generations refuse to abandon ancestral lands despite hardship.
Communities in South Sudan are employing traditional methods of building islands with plants and mud to combat escalating floods. The Akuak clan, for instance, spends hours daily reinforcing their homes against rising waters, a necessity driven by persistent, catastrophic flooding impacting the nation for the sixth year running.
Climate change is identified as a major driver of these worsening flood conditions, making the landscape unpredictable and forcing residents to adapt. Many families, like Ayen Deng Duot's, choose to remain on their ancestral lands, prioritizing survival and community over the uncertain prospects of urban displacement.
This resilience comes at a cost, with traditional livelihoods shifting from farming and cattle to fishing alone. The destruction of a local school by floods further highlights the challenges, yet the spirit of adaptation and determination to preserve their way of life endures.
