VZCZCXRO3297
OO RUEHROV RUEHTRO
DE RUEHKH #0581/01 1201305
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 301305Z APR 09
FM AMEMBASSY KHARTOUM
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 3675
INFO RUCNIAD/IGAD COLLECTIVE
RUEHGG/UN SECURITY COUNCIL COLLECTIVE
RHMFISS/CJTF HOA

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. 
 
------------------------------------- 
Flood Mitigation Assessment Team Aims 
------------------------------------- 
 
¶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. 
 
----------------------------------------- 
Overview of Cyclical Flooding in S. Sudan 
----------------------------------------- 
 
--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. 
 
------------------------------------------- 
Institutional Capacity for Flood Mitigation 
------------------------------------------- 
 
¶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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