Professor Jim Hall of Oxford University gives a keynote presentation on Flood Risk Analysis and Investment Planning. | July 2015 |Courtesy: Jim Hall Youtube Channel.

A team of three environmental experts is expected to arrive in the country this month to lecture the cabinet, parliament, and public on water resource management, the Government has confirmed.

Information Minister, Michael Makuei Lueth said the environmental experts from the UK, US, and Canada will be in the country by the 13^th of July.

Makuei disclosed this after the cabinet meeting in Juba on Friday that the foreigners will be joined by local experts in the country.

“It (Council of Ministers) also agreed that a team of experts will be arriving, one is coming from Oxford (UK), the other is coming from Canada and another from the U.S. These are experts on Water Resource Management,” Makuei said.

“They (experts) will come and give us a lecture on all these issues, this is an addition to our local experts.  These people will come, they will be arriving here on the 13^th,

“They (experts) will be briefing everybody including Cabinet, the public, and the parliament on these issues so that we put these issues to an end,” he stated.

Makuei urges citizens not to misuse social media and refrain from unreliable information.

“People are advised, being public servants or private people, to refrain from all these and approach issues from an informed position and not abuse social media,” the minister of information said.

Early in June, the Office of the President says the Government has invited a prominent British environmental risk expert to participate in discussions on the Nile waters issue.

According to the letter dated 2nd June 2022, the Minister of Presidential affairs invited Professor Jim Hall to give a scientific analysis that may help the government and the public understand how best the Nile waters can be managed.

The press secretary in the Office of the President, Ateny Wek Ateny told Eye Radio that the discussion will provide public awareness through a series of discussions with various stakeholders.

In March, the Minister of Water Resource and Irrigation received four river cleaning machines from the Egyptian Government for cleaning pathways of the Nile River.

This was followed by the announcement made by the Government of Unity State that the dredging project along the Naam river would start after the arrival of machinery in Bentiu town in June.

The Ministry of Environment and Forestry termed the planned dredging ‘illegal’ and demanded the halting of the project until an environmental risk assessment is conducted.

Also, the Office of the President said the Government has not approved the controversial initiative to dredge the Nile tributaries, including the acquisition of the Nile River dredging machines from Egypt.

However, during an event in Juba, Vice President James Wani Igga publicly contradicted President Kiir’s Office, saying the dredging project was approved by the Council of Ministers, normally shared by the President.

He revealed the intention to dredge the Bahr el- Ghazal and Bahr el Jebel tributaries was long decided in 2006.

VP Wani, however, pointed out that the issue of Jonglei Canal was subjected to public debate and feasibility studies.