An environmentalist in South Sudan’s Yei River State is raising concerns over what she describes as over-exploitation of natural resources without protective polices by the state.

Speaking to Radio Tamazuj on Tuesday, Hayat Clara working for the community-based Organization for Socio-Economic Transformation (OSET) said natural resources in the state continue to be exploited every year without concrete protection measures.

She warned that if nothing is done soon to preserve the environment, many parts of Yei River State could face desertification and extinction of both plant and animal species.

“When you look at other natural resources like rivers, there a lot of bad things dumped into the water bodies. People have been actively involved into business, into excavation of sand for house construction, poor construction of road network hence endangering other aquatic species like fish. And if nothing is done now, we are most likely to experience loss of other water bodies and rare animal species,” she added.

Clara further called on state authorities to make policies that will protect the forest reserves in the state saying the rampant deforestation should be brought to an end.

“In Yei River State, Kagelu and Lainya natural forest reserves have been brought to zero without re-afforestation or replacement. These trees are important because they provide oxygen to human beings, animals and plants,” she added.

For his part, Yei River State director for forestry and natural resources David Silas said the government lacks funds to execute environmental rehabilitation programs.

“With this current economic and political crisis, we are left handicapped and we could not do anything. We have paper plans but our biggest challenge is lack of resources,”

Silas further appealed to the international environmental organizations to support the ministry in its plans to conserve the environment.