Juba – In commemoration of World Food Day 2016, the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and UN Environment in South Sudan, in collaboration with the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security (MAFS), held a public debate to raise awareness on climate change and its impact on food production and security.
The event was hosted by the University of Juba, one of the most prominent higher education institutions in the Republic of South Sudan. The University has a strong knowledge base in the area of natural resources and environment. The debate was attended by students from different colleges of the University, professors, lecturers and representatives of civil society organisations.
Debating under the theme “Climate is changing. Food and agriculture must too”, the main speakers were: Dr. Salah Khatier Jubarah, the Principal of Juba University, Dr. Serge Tissot, FAO Representative in South Sudan and Mr. Arshad Khan, UN Environment South Sudan Country Programme Manager. The public debate focused on the three questions: 1) “What are the challenges and opportunities of the changing climate in South Sudan?” (2) “How should food and agriculture be adapting to climate change?” (3) “How do we get a Zero Hunger Generation?”
During the debate, Dr. Tissot said that for South Sudan to have crops that are adapted to climate change, there should be a study into seed varieties that are resistant to both new crop diseases and climate change as a long term approach in the country. He also identified technical administrative and financial constraints, and access to credit for agriculture as some of the major problems facing the agricultural sector in the country.
Meanwhile Mr. Khan said that all countries, whether rich or poor, have to face the climate change phenomena though the impacts vary from country to country. He went further, talking about how countries like South Sudan will face the burden of climate change if urgent actions are not taken to prevent it now. At present, he said, “neither the government has the capacity nor the community has the ability to withstand the climate shocks”.
The key messages from the questions and answers session unanimously pointed to the fact that the global sustainable development goal for achieving Zero Hunger by 2030 is not possible without addressing the threats of climate change.
Climate change disproportionately affects the world’s poorest countries – for example a country like South Sudan where livelihoods depend heavily on climate-sensitive agriculture sectors and other natural resources, there is a urgent need to make agriculture and food systems more resilient, productive and sustainable in order to ensure the wellbeing of ecosystems and rural populations while at the same time, reduce emissions. Moreover, everyone has a role to play in mitigating the effects of climate change.
