FILE PHOTO: Unity oil field in Unity state - Credit | Joakino Francis/Eye Radio | 12 October 2010

A South Sudanese researcher has urged the government to conduct a thorough and independent environmental risk management audit to address the growing risks of pollution, oil leaks, and improper disposal of oil chemicals.

Bol Madut Ayii made these comments in Juba on Wednesday, Feb 26, during a panel discussion on the role of media in raising awareness about climate change and environmental issues affecting South Sudan.

Ayii emphasized that such an environmental audit would help ensure compliance with international environmental laws and regulations, while also addressing the rising cases of birth defects in the country.

He says he was aware of the concluded environmental management audit conducted by the government, but he doubts the credibility of the reports.

In 2020, the government conducted an environmental audit to ascertain the extent of oil pollution following years of negligence and lack of proper management of oil chemicals contaminating the water points in the oil-producing areas.

However, the government has been hesitant to publicize the findings of the audits.

“How can the government audit itself? It is impossible,” Madut said, “There is a need for an independent environmental management audit to provide comprehensive recommendations on how the oil production activities could be carried out in the country. There is a lot of negligence, and the government has to find ways to address the mess.”

He calls on the media, civil society, and academia to inform the public about the dangers of cutting trees for charcoal, saying while charcoal is important for cooking, it also damages the environment and causes deforestation.

Madut made the call at a forum organized by the Association for Media Development in South Sudan (AMDISS), supported by the Norwegian People’s Aid (NPA).

Nyamach Hoth Mai, an environmentalist, activist, and founder of Future Savers—a network of environmental agencies, urges journalists to educate the public on good practices and environmental conservation.

She underscores the role of the media in creating awareness about the dangers of dredging, which impacts marine organisms negatively and degrades habitats and ecosystems.

“Media played an important role in sensitizing the masses about the dangers of dredging last year. It was through the media that the public was mobilized to reject the dredging of the river, which saved the ecosystems and people’s livelihood. The government eventually understood that there were people who depended on the rivers that were subjected to dredging,” Nyamach said.

The forum attracted participants from the line government institutions, civil society organizations, academia, research institutes, and media managers on Wednesday, 26 February, at the Grand Juba Hotel.

It was for the first time that the media and environmental experts came together to share notes on how to increase awareness of climate changes and issues that contribute to degradation in the environment, which are widely blamed on human activities.

During the discussions, stakeholders reflected on the positive role the media plays in creating awareness about the triple climate change disasters (Floods, drought, and heatwaves) and how the media could collaborate with the relevant institutions to ensure that the communities are adequately informed on climate change resilient mechanisms to rally support for environment conservation.

Ayaa Irene Lokang, the director of AMDISS, commends the journalists for reporting on environmental issues, saying their work is shaping public understanding, motivating action, and driving sustainable solutions to environmental and climate change matters in the country.

Irene appeals to the government institutions to give access to journalists to report on critical issues and inform the public about the changing climatic complications such as heatwaves, drought, and floods.

“There have been reports of drought in parts of Eastern Equatoria and floods in parts of Upper Nile, Jonglei, and Unity states. It has been so challenging for journalists to travel to the affected areas due to some bureaucracy and permit-related issues. It will be appropriate to allow journalists to access the areas affected by the disasters to bring forth the stories of the people and inform humanitarian actors for relief response,” Irene said.

Speaking on behalf of the Norwegian People’s Aid (NPA), Jacob Atem expresses the readiness of his organization to continue supporting the national media actors to keep on performing their activities in the country.

Atem emphasizes the need to continue supporting the media to strengthen democracy, good governance, and human rights in South Sudan.

“NPA has been supporting AMDISS for many years,” Atem said. “We have seen a lot of impacts through Media Development Institute (MDI), through the media legal framework and capacity building of journalists to report ethically and professionally. This impact is visible and we are ready to continue supporting the media.”

The forum also honored Maura Ajak’s achievement as an environmental reporter through her recent documentary jointly produced by BBC showing the plight of the people affected by floods and oil pollution in parts of the country.

Ajak encourages her colleagues to specialize in their reporting and be passionate about covering the suffering of the people of South Sudan.