South Sudan and World Vision have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to implement a project that seeks to strengthen local resilience to the impact of climate change.
The project named “Watershed Approaches for Climate Resilience in Agro-Pastoral Landscapes” is worth 33 million U.S. dollars and will target 75,000 people in Aweil Center and Aweil East counties in Northern Bahr el Ghazal State.
The five-year project to be implemented by World Vision will enhance the capacity of communities to manage and withstand the adverse effects of climate change.
Speaking during the signing ceremony, Josephine Napwon Cosmos, the Minister of Environment and Forestry, said her ministry developed the project to address the impacts of climate change in the country.
“The country is currently experiencing severe heat waves, drought, and unpredictable rain patterns. To address these impacts, the Ministry of Environment and Forestry developed climate strategies and projects to mitigate and adapt to these impacts,” she stated. “The project implementation agreement we are signing today is one of the projects that will be implemented in Aweil Center and Aweil East counties in Northern Bahr el Ghazal State.”
Meanwhile, Dr. Mesfin Lola, the World Vision Country Director in South Sudan, reaffirmed their readiness to work with the government and other stakeholders to implement the project.
“The MoU we signed today is about partnership and cooperation and is about emphasizing on coming and working together with different roles and responsibilities to deliver on objectives of this project,” Dr. Lola said.
On his part, Dominic Sam, the UNDP Resident Representative in South Sudan, said the project focus extends to resilient agriculture and food value chains, and boost climate-smart practices to mitigate crop failure risks and enhance food security and economic independence for 25,000 individuals.
“This project is a testament to the resilience and determination of the South Sudanese people, aiming to build climate resilience in agricultural and pastoral communities through sustainable watershed management,” he said.