By Akol Madut Ngong
The National Minister of Environment and Forestry Josephine Napwon Cosmas is urging intellectuals and other relevant authorities in the Country to advocate to the public about the environmental impacts that will confront the society as well as other living things as result of river dredging.
“What we are discussing is for all of us, no other person will come to it for us, the importance of our Sudd, you have understood the important of wetlands, it is not only to the people of South Sudan but to the region at large,” Napwon said.
The Minister of Environment stressed, that when they report things, they report concretely citing the rapid environmental assessment report done by Dr. Peter T. Gilruth, a Scientist and a consultant the Ministry hired conduct the scientific study.
“We need to take the report positively and to educate our people on the importance of Sudd wetlands and the importance of reserving Jonglei canal, it is not only our responsibility but of course Uganda is one of the immediate neighbor and it is one of the beneficiary of the Nile” she said.
Minister Napwon noted that, if they want to do something in the Republic of South Sudan, they need to do it in consultation with their neighbors and that will need time for them to conclude.
She said the presidency gave them the go ahead to do more research on the issues of the Nile waters. “We should get our researchers, the committee has been form in the president’s office and we are going to get our consultants specially nationalists because they know more than anybody’ Minister Napwon underlined.
“We as the ministry, we are only preserving and protecting environment, anything that come to harm environment is not acceptable, our position always will be once unless if the government come up with another decision then it would be a bold decision both from parliament and the Cabinet.” She emphasized.
Minister Josephine Napwon had earlier said the rapid environmental assessment findings her ministry had gathered dictated that the Sudd wetlands shouldn’t be tempered with that means absolute no to the Jonglei canal resumption.