SOUTHERN SUDAN - FLOOD MITIGATION ASSESSMENT

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 04 KHARTOUM 000581

DEPT FOR SE GRATION, S/USSES, AF A A/S CARTER, AF/E
NSC FOR MGAVIN AND CHUDSON
DEPT PLS PASS USAID FOR AFR/SUDAN
ADDIS ABABA ALSO FOR USAU

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: ASEC PGOV PREL KPKO SOCI AU UNSC SU
SUBJECT: SOUTHERN SUDAN - FLOOD MITIGATION ASSESSMENT

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Summary
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1. (SBU) From April 20 to 26, a four-person USAID Office of U.S.
Foreign Disaster (USAID/OFDA) flood mitigation assessment team
traveled to Juba, the capital of Southern Sudan, and Aweil and
Malualkon towns in Northern Bahr el Ghazal State. The team met with
Government of Southern Sudan (GOSS) officials, non-governmental
organizations (NGOs),UN agencies, the Vice Chancellor of The
University of Juba, and state officials to discuss the impact of
flooding in recent years and the local authorities' capacity to
monitor, assess, and respond to cyclical flooding disasters. The
team visited flood-affected communities, road and bridge
construction sites, and recently-constructed levees. The major
causes of flooding in Southern Sudan include local flooding due to
limited drainage,
the flatness of the topography, and flooding along the river
systems. Exacerbating these physical conditions, new road
construction--which has affected water flow and flood patterns in
several states--and changes in land use and increased pressure on
land due to significant numbers of returnees may have contributed to
land degradation, which may have led to or caused additional
flooding. Based on the assessment's findings, USAID/OFDA plans to
support development of a disaster risk reduction strategy for
Southern Sudan and initiate a pilot flood mitigation and disaster
risk reduction program. END SUMMARY.

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Flood Mitigation Assessment Team Aims
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2. (U) Between April 20 and 26, a four-person team, including
USAID/OFDA's hydro-meteorologist hazard advisor, a U.S. Geological
Survey (USGS) physical scientist, a USAID/OFDA program officer, and
a USAID/OFDA field monitor conducted a flood mitigation assessment
in Southern Sudan. The team met with GOSS officials in Juba from
the Office of the President's Special Programs Department, the
Ministry of Water Resources and Irrigation (MOWRI),SSRRC, the
Ministry of Interior's Civil Protection Division, the Ministry of
Social Development, and the Ministry of Health (MOH) to discuss the
GOSS's operational plans to respond to and mitigate potential
disasters in Southern Sudan. GOSS officials reported that relevant
ministries are reviewing a draft disaster risk reduction and
management policy for Southern Sudan, but have not yet approved or
widely circulated the document. On April 21, the team met with the
Vice Chancellor of The University of Juba to discuss the
university's current science and climate-related curriculum and
research, as well as partnerships with other international
institutions. From April 22 to 25, the team travelled to Aweil,
Northern Bahr el Ghazal State, to review the general topography,
town lay-out, river network, and impact and causes of recent
floods.


3. (U) The goals of the flood mitigation assessment mission
included assessing flood vulnerability and risk by compiling
information on technical, institutional, political, and other
relevant aspects of flood management in selected states in Southern
Sudan. The field assessment was the first step in developing an
overall strategy paper to guide future implementation of flood
mitigation measures in the region for USAID/OFDA. USAID/OFDA
supports disaster risk reduction programs worldwide that aim to
reduce vulnerability to reoccurring natural hazards, such as floods,
droughts, hurricanes, cyclones, and tsunamis. In 2009, USAID/OFDA
has prioritized funding for disaster risk reduction initiatives in
Southern Sudan as part of its ongoing effort to transition away from
relief assistance and to build the central and local government's
capacity to effectively manage the impact of disasters.

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Overview of Cyclical Flooding in S. Sudan
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--Physical Conditions--


4. (U) The climate of Southern Sudan varies from warm semi-arid in
the north to almost tropical savannah in the south, with total
annual rainfall from approximately 400 mm in northern parts to 1,500
mm in southern areas of Southern Sudan. The watersheds in Southern
Sudan are relatively flat, with insignificant elevation difference,
with the exception of the southeastern part of the region. Soil in
Southern Sudan is composed mainly of clay, which prevents rapid
absorption of rainfall to sub-surface aquifers, causing rainfall to
remain on the ground longer. During the rainy season, which
typically commences in May and ends in early November, the majority

KHARTOUM 00000581 002 OF 004


of the region's land transforms into a vast swampy area that
supports traditional livelihoods such as fishing but hinders access
to remote locations. Three major tributaries of the White Nile
River flow through states in Southern Sudan: the Bahr el Ghazal
River, the Bahr el Jebel River, and the Sobat River. The major
causes of flooding in Southern Sudan include local flooding due to
limited drainage, the flatness of the topography, and flooding along
the river systems.


5. (U) According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration Climate Prediction Center, Southern Sudan received
approximately 20 to 80 percent above normal rainfall in 2007, while
in 2008, rainfall in the region was near normal levels. However,
both 2007 and 2008 rainy seasons led to severe flooding in Northern
Bahr el Ghazal and Upper Nile states. From July to September 2007,
Northern Bahr el Ghazal State experienced torrential downpours that
resulted in severe flooding i Aweil town and three counties in the
state, according to the U.N. World Health Organization. Floods in
2008 resulted in crop destruction in many parts of the state,
leading to an overall poor harvest, according to relief agencies.
In 2007, floods affected approximately 365,000 people in Sudan,
including approximately 75,000 people in Southern Sudan, according
to the UN.





6. (SBU) In late 2006, the GOSS began constructing roads to connect
Northern Bahr el Ghazal's counties to other counties and neighboring
states. In Aweil, one of the main roads crosses through the town,
separating the town from the lowlands that turn into seasonal
wetlands during the rainy season. The road in Aweil blocks the flow
of water from the higher areas of town to the lowlands, increasing
vulnerability to floods and leading to additional flooding in areas
already prone to floods. According to state authorities, the road
design did not include a sufficient number of culverts to allow
proper water flow from the higher ground to the seasonal swampy
areas. The temporary roads at the river crossings, where permanent
bridges are under construction, have dammed rivers and caused water
to back-up and flood upstream villages. The plans include the
construction of 11 bridges, only five of which had been completed at
the time of the assessment, according to the Ministry of
Infrastructure and Planning (MOIP) in Aweil. (Note: Along the
roads the team traveled, the amount of culverts appeared inadequate.
The team also noted that many bridges under construction had
temporary river crossings that dammed the river's flow. End Note.)
The state MOIP reported that the road company decided to increase
the number of culverts along the roads after the road construction
was cited as a contributing factor to the 2008 floods. In addition,
the company is working to dismantle the temporary river crossings
that caused the river to back-up and flood upstream areas. Aid
agencies and GOSS officials indicated that similar road
construction, some undertaken by oil companies, is affecting water
flow and flood patterns in neighboring Warab, Unity, and Upper Nile
states.


7. (U) During the two-decade conflict between the North and the
South, drought, food shortages, and conflict caused approximately 40
percent of Northern Bahr el Ghazal residents to flee the state.
According to the International Organization for Migration, nearly
394,000 people have returned to Northern Bahr el Ghazal since the
signing of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement in 2005, constituting
the largest number of returnees to any state in Southern Sudan or
the Three Areas. Large influxes of returnees may have led to
changes in land use, such as clearing the land for settlements,
cutting trees for housing construction and firewood, and burning
land to prepare for agriculture. The increased pressure of
newly-arrived returnees may have contributed to land degradation,
which may have led to or exacerbated flooding. The team plans to
analyze land use changes through remote sensing maps and data
available at the USGS. The significant number of returnees and the
ad-hoc settlement patterns of new arrivals, many of which settled in
historically hazard-prone areas in and around Aweil town, exposed
larger populations to floods. Even normal levels of rainfall in
areas of high return may have caused significant disasters due to
the increased number of vulnerable people, many of whom have
recently returned from years of displacement in northern Sudan and
are unfamiliar with local coping mechanisms, weather patterns, and
flood-prone areas.


8. (U) The headwaters of the rivers that flow through the Bahr al
Ghazal region are located in the Central African Republic. At the
time of the assessment, GOSS officials reported that they do not
have access to rainfall or stream flow data from neighboring
countries. Lack of information on rainfall and river conditions

KHARTOUM 00000581 003 OF 004


reduces the lead time for officials and communities to take flood
preparedness measures, such as moving livestock out of flood prone
areas, evacuating populations, and moving household and livelihood
assets out of harm's way. In the Boma plains of Jonglei State, the
creeping water flow causes flooding in large areas of the state,
according to local officials.


9. (U) In Aweil town, accumulation of solid waste in ditches and
small canals prevents the flow of water away from settlements due to
lack operational solid waste collection processes. The solid waste
may also provide a medium for the spread of waterborne and
water-related diseases, such as malaria and diarrhea.

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Institutional Capacity for Flood Mitigation
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10. (SBU) GOSS officials reported that while some meteorological
observation capacity and services continue to exist in northern
Sudan through the Sudanese MeeoRological$Quthkryt,!th% information
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