By Kei Emmanuel Duku
South Sudan has appealed for $100 million over the next 25 years to address the devastating impacts of climate change.
The country’s Minister of Environment and Forestry, Josephine Napwon Cosmas, emphasized the urgent need for climate finance to support adaptation and resilience efforts.
Napwon said climate-induced shocks, coupled with political instability, have severely affected South Sudan’s population and hindered development.
The country’s underdeveloped financial sector has further limited its ability to access and utilize climate finance.
Speaking at the COP29 in Baku Azerbaijan, the Minister stated that there is a need for dedicated efforts in addressing shocks caused by climate change in most climate-vulnerable countries in the continent and beyond.
“It is not easy to have access to financial and credit services especially in South Sudan due to limited banking, insurance options, and investment channels for agriculture, these limitations affected the country’s ability to invest in climate-resilient projects,” said Napwon.
However, she said that to attract investment and promote climate-friendly projects, South Sudan has implemented policies such as the Investment Promotion Act and the Environmental and Social Impact Assessment Regulations.
The government is also prioritizing renewable energy sources, particularly hydropower and solar power, to reduce reliance on fossil fuels.
She said that the government has already initiated policies to support renewable energy, particularly hydropower, and solar power to attract climate finance from international partners and also the government is using other global initiatives like the Paris Agreement to provide access to climate finance for addressing dangers caused by climate change.
She argues that by aligning climate finance initiatives with national policies and strengthening capacity-building, South Sudan aims to enhance its resilience to climate change and secure a sustainable future.
The adoption of the New Collective Quantified Goal at COP29 is seen as a crucial step in mobilizing the necessary financial resources for developing countries like South Sudan.
“We are strengthening capacity to develop viable finance projects, attracting expertise and sensitizing the local communities to attract funding and encouraging private investment to address the poor access to affordable finance and microfinance in rural areas as a coping mechanism” she added.
According to the Climate Venerability Index of 20217, South Sudan is among the five most climate-vulnerable countries in the world.
The country’s rainfall has decreased by 10-20%, causing an alarm as 86% of rural households rely on rainfed agriculture and animal husbandry.
In April 2023, the Ministry of Environment and Forestry together with Partners launched a major USD 9 million initiative to help communities adapt to climate change by strengthening climate early warning systems and restoring ecosystems in two states.