When deeds speak, words are nothing

The real value of Nile Basin
wetlands using the example
of the Sudd wetland
$1,232,581,102
$744,040,984
“You cannot
be a player and
a referee at the
same time.”
$148,480
Cultural &
spiritual
Biodiversity
&
conservation
Mitigation
& regulation
of climate
change
1.2 million white-eared Kob antelopes and an
abundance of Tiang antelopes and Mongalla
gazelle. An estimated 8,000 elephants were
also observed.
$1,055,750,412
Water
regulation &
habitats
Agricultural
production &
fishery
$3,286,019,767
Total economic value
of the ecosystem
services of the
Sudd wetland
in 2019
Wood based
energy &
timber
Other
plant-based
products
$153,910,423
Legal vacuum
But so far, South Sudan is protecting the
environment with too weak policies and cannot
penalise abusers of the environment, Bartel
said. “At the moment, we are using ministerial
orders, but ministerial orders cannot be used
in a court of law.”
The South Sudanese environmental act
has remained a draft bill for nearly a decade.
Bartel said the bill is at the Ministry of Justice
awaiting tabling by the Justice Minister to
the Council of Ministers before parliament
ratifies it into law.
Bartel said the Ministry of Environment
seeks to hold a consultative workshop with
all the environment ministers across the states
and enact the country’s environmental bill.
He added that coordination between the
national government and the states has been
weak on ecological matters.
“We are going to give them an orientation
on issues of environment, issues of say infrastructure
development in their particular
areas. The most important thing is to stop
the haphazard grabbing of lands for settlement,
and before even land is given to people, those
areas have to be assessed whether they are fit
for residential uses,” he said.
Meetings with the state ministers shall
focus on a one-decade plan for water bodies,
forests, soil, wildlife, fisheries, and others and
planting 100 million trees. He said that they
would also widen efforts for the government
to invest in clean energy, including solar,
$42,140,676
Water
supply
BILLION $
$3,286,019,767
Value of the Sudd wetland
2019
$11,670,000,000
Average annual GDP of South Sudan
2008-2019
0
geothermal and natural gas, to avoid depending
on the country’s forest.
So far, the country’s Ministry of Petroleum
has environmental audits using its Petroleum
Act 2012 – the only law that can penalise those
abusing the environment.
Many, however, say it was a mistake for
the Petroleum Ministry to have been given
the responsibility to conduct environmental
audits, arguing it needs neutral external
oversight.
$52,782,140
2.5 5
7.5
“You cannot be a player and a referee at the
same time,” Bartel said, adding, “we are going
to look into it that – the petroleum act will be
amended”. He said the Ministry of Environment
should have oversight of the environment and
environmental audits.
$4,665,551
10
43