A member of the Central Equatoria State Transitional Legislative Assembly has called on the citizenry to take personal responsibility in protecting the environment, warning that continued environmental degradation poses serious risks to public health and future generations.
Speaking during an awareness workshop on the impact of climate change on forests and wetlands organized by the Grassroots Women Network (GWN), Joice Kiden Eluzai, who serves on the state parliament’s environment committee, stressed that environmental protection must begin at the household level.
“We should be the ones to change our state,” she stated. “There will be no one who will come from America or another country to come and change us. Our environment is ours.”
Her remarks come at a time when sections of Juba’s outskirts are experiencing increased tree cutting for charcoal burning and other activities, raising concerns about deforestation and its contribution to climate change effects in Central Equatoria.
Linking environmental conservation to public health, Kiden emphasized the direct relationship between a clean environment and community well-being.
“When we have a good environment, we shall have good health,” she underscored. “Without a good environment, we shall have many diseases that will be disturbing us in our families.”
Kiden urged participants to ensure that environmental awareness starts at home before being extended to the wider community.
“And before a good environment, it should start from each of us, from our homes, before we go and give awareness,” she counseled. “You cannot give awareness when your home or compound is not good. There is a saying that charity begins at home.”
Conversely, several Juba inhabitants concur that the growing mismanagement of the environment, particularly the widespread cutting of trees in the outskirts of the city for charcoal burning and other activities, is getting out of hand. They warned that continued destruction of forests could worsen the impacts of climate change and negatively affect surrounding communities.
Grace Marcello Latio, a Public Health Officer from Rajaf Payam, said Juba is increasingly vulnerable to climate change due to the high rate of deforestation.
“There is a serious problem regarding the cutting of our trees,” she said. “Currently, there are no longer many trees in the outskirts of Juba because the majority were cut down for charcoal.”
Marcello added that another major challenge affecting the environment is the burning of bushes during the dry season, which she said threatens wildlife and public health. She called on the government, particularly the Ministry of Environment and Forestry, to develop and enforce policies that safeguard the environment.
“People are also burning the bush anyway, especially when it reaches dry season,” she said. “People from the surrounding areas will start burning the bush and cause serious health issues.”
The concerns were voiced during the one-day workshop organized by GWN, which brought together participants from Munuki, Luri, Northern Bari, and Rajaf Payams. The forum provided a platform for experience-sharing and community dialogue on the effects of climate change on forests and wetlands.
During the discussions, participants emphasized the urgent need for stronger environmental protection measures and called on authorities to regulate tree cutting and enforce policies that promote sustainable environmental management.
For her part, Sunday Mogga, Executive Director of GWN, encouraged Juba residents to consistently maintain a clean environment, noting that bush burning contaminates and pollutes the surroundings.
The workshop concluded with renewed calls for collective action, community awareness, and stronger collaboration between citizens and government institutions to address environmental challenges facing Central Equatoria State.