South Sudan: First State of Environment and Outlook Report 2018--Summary for Policymakers
Publisher: UN Environment
Date: 2018
Topics: Climate Change, Conflict Prevention, Governance, Land, Renewable Resources
Countries: South Sudan
The Republic of South Sudan’s natural environment provides abundant environmental goods and services that offer multiple opportunities for economic development and improved livelihoods. It is a fragile endowment, however, that must be managed sustainably to support the livelihoods of present and future generations of South Sudanese. Sustainable management requires current and accurate information about the state of the environment. Environmental assessments, for example, can support policymakers in making decisions about how to both use and protect natural resources. The last detailed environmental assessment of South Sudan was carried out by UN Environment in 2007, when Sudan and South Sudan were one country, in the form of the Sudan Post-Conflict Environmental Assessment. Since independence, South Sudan continues to suffer environmental degradation due to internal conflict and the unsustainable use of its natural resources. Given the pace of environmental change in South Sudan, the Ministry of the Environment and Forestry requested that UN Environment facilitate a study on the state of the environment in the country to identify and prioritize key environmental challenges for South Sudan and to develop actions to address these challenges.