Northern Bahr el Ghazal and Warrap Targeted for $52.5 Million Climate Fund

(JUBA) – South Sudan has secured 52.5 million United States Dollars in climate funding to strengthen resilience in flood-prone areas, the government announced on 3 December 2025.

The funding package includes 50 million USD from the Green Climate Fund (GCF) and 2.5 million USD from co-financing partners, according to Minister of Environment and Forestry Mabior Garang Mabior. The project is designed to support both displaced populations and host communities, ensuring that adaptation measures reach the most vulnerable groups.

The initiative will begin in early 2026 and target Northern Bahr el Ghazal and Warrap states. It aims to integrate water management, sustainable agriculture, and disaster risk measures, providing practical solutions for communities affected by floods.

The Ministry of Environment and Forestry will implement the project in collaboration with the World Food Program and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). Interventions will include climate-smart agriculture, resilient infrastructure, livelihoods support, and improved climate information services.

This marks South Sudan’s first single-country Green Climate Fund investment. The Minister noted that the project builds on a decade of partnership since South Sudan joined the Paris Agreement, beginning with a 300,000 USD grant in 2018.

According to WFP Deputy Country Director Adham Effendi, the initiative demonstrates the government’s ability to attract international climate finance. It is expected to directly benefit over 500,000 vulnerable people and indirectly support more than one million residents over a five-year period.

UNHCR Deputy Country Representative Mesfin Degefu said the project will enhance resilience for approximately 25,000 displaced and host community members. Measures include flood risk management, climate-smart agriculture, semi-permanent resilient shelters, and institutional capacity building.

Planned activities include installation of early warning systems, construction of 500 climate-resilient shelters, rehabilitation of water and sanitation facilities, support for solar-powered irrigation systems, and the planting of 100,000 fruit and medicinal trees.

Over the past decade, South Sudan has faced severe climate challenges, including recurrent floods and droughts. Erratic rainfall, rising temperatures, and damaged infrastructure have displaced hundreds of thousands of people, disrupted agriculture, and increased food insecurity and health risks.

South Sudan Climate Resilience Project