The research focuses on oil fields in Unity and Upper-Nile State, regions that both have unique ecosystems such as the Sudd,
the world’s largest wetlands facing growing pressure from oil
exploration. Researchers have mapped all the oil extraction points, and
mapped the flooding of the fields in 2021-2022, showing that in Unity
State, a total of 533 out of 1352 oil wells – or roughly 40% – were
flooded. Though most of the oil extraction points did not seem to be
active, there remain risks of oil pollution from oil waste pits, unsafe
storage of hazardous chemicals and risks of damage to oil pipelines.
Additionally, research shows that flood occurrence has already increased
at some of the oil fields in the last decades, both in dry and wet
seasons.
Cascading Climate Effects
On a yearly basis, the heavy rains are getting more intense and
variable, displacing close to a million people. The report reflects this
as results suggest that flood occurrence has already increased for
parts of South Sudan since 1990. Experts fear that floods will worsen, linking this with the climate crisis induced change of weather patterns. Beyond the direct humanitarian
suffering, local communities fear that lax oversight and absence of
proper environmental regulations results in unprotected oil waste pits,
while past investigations have shown mismanagement of safe storage of
hazardous chemicals used in the oil exploration process. The spread of
those toxics with the cascade of waters during the flooding seasons can
impact drinking water sources for nearby communities, their livestock
and wider impact on ecosystems.
A Black Tide over Green Lands.
The wheeling and dealing around the environmental frameworks governing the lucrative fossil fuel industry in South Sudan has faced many challenges, as the country was plagued by wars and
social unrest. Despite the creation of a national environmental law in
2012, the government still has not carried out a long-awaited
environmental assessment of the oil fields that should provide insights
into the risks and challenges around oil exploration. Meanwhile, there
has been a range of incidents that
resulted in oil spills, and limited research that has been conducted,
shows growing pollution risks on surface and groundwater, including
drinking water sources. Civil society groups and environmental activists
have long protested the lack of response to these developments, while responsible oil
companies still fail to provide transparency and accountability over
environmental regulation to ensure rigorous safety standards and climate
adaptation measures are implemented.
With this report, PAX aims to highlight the serious risks linked with
climate-impacts on industrial activities in countries affected by wars
and armed conflicts. This year, the COP28 of the UN Conference on
Climate Change will take place in the United Arab Emirates where States
will meet to discuss how to build effective policies to reduce CO2
emissions and develop global policies to address the impacts. Yet, the
linkages between climate and conflict is still absent in discussions on
loss and damage and on building climate resilient policies to minimize
and mitigate climate impacts on conflict-affected areas. The findings of
the report also underscore the need for the government of South Sudan
and the international oil companies to address these challenges.
