south sudan and sudan: potential transboundary water issues caused by the forming of the world’s...
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South Sudan and Sudan:Potential Transboundary Water
Issues Caused by the Forming of the World’s Youngest Country
Johnny Sullivan and Dave Christiansen
+Overview
July 9, 2011: South Sudan secedes from Sudan
Culmination of decades of fighting
Can new nation succeed?
What water issues does it face?
+Geographical Overview
Ethiopia
Eritrea
Egypt
Chad
Central African Republic
Congo
Libya
DR Congo
Uganda
Kenya
+Geographical Overview
Population Area (sq. mi)
North Sudan 30,894,000 728,215
South Sudan 8,260,490 239,285
+Ethnic Group Distribution
+Religion Distribution
+Language Distribution
+Infant Mortality Rate
+Primary School Completion
+“Poor” Food Consumption
+Conflict
Civil war between Northern and Southern regions of Sudan
Sudan granted independence Christian/Traditional African
southerners feared religious oppression from the Muslim north
1972: Addis Ababa Agreement ended fighting, created Southern Sudan Autonomous Region
First Sudanese Civil War (1955-1972)
+Conflict
Second Sudanese Civil War (1955-1972)
Civil war between the Government of Sudan and rebel groups in south
Government abolished the Addis Ababa Agreement, attempting to declare all of Sudan an Islamic state
Fighting ended in 2005 with the Comprehensive Peace Agreement
+2005 Comprehensive Peace Agreement
Document designed to end Second Sudanese Civil War
6 years of autonomy for South Sudan
Referendum in 2011 98% of South Sudanese approved
independence
Officially seceded on July 9, 2011
+2005 Comprehensive Peace Agreement
Exact location of border never decided Frequent land allocation disputes
80% of region’s oil reserves located in South Sudan, but established administration in North Sudan
Talks to share oil 50/50, but never codified Either way, Sudan loses at least 1/3 of
its oil revenue
South Sudan considering circumventing Sudan’s oil infrastructure, working with Kenya
+Current State of Both Countries
Water Resources In terms of climate, South
Sudan is in much better shape than Sudan
Main Sources of Water Sudan: Nile River South Sudan: Rainwater
harvesting
Sudan South Sudan
Average Annual Rainfall (cm)
10 120
+Current State of Both Countries
Water Resources In terms of infrastructure,
Sudan is much more developed than South Sudan
Since the CPA in 2005, South Sudan has been working to build infrastructure The Ministry of Water
Resources and Irrigation Not-for-profit Organizations
Water for South Sudan
+Current State of Both Countries
Economy The global financial crisis
greatly affected the progress of South Sudan, bringing a halt to many infrastructure improvement programs
Conflict Continued conflict in the
Darfur region and elsewhere in Sudan have created a great deal of uncertainty in the future of both countries
+Potential Future Issues
Water Resources Sudan relies heavily on the White Nile River for water, which flows
through South Sudan South Sudan could exert influence over Sudan if dams were to be
constructed Currently, South Sudan is far too poor to accomplish this
However, if they are able to establish themselves, this could create potential for transboundary water issues
+Potential Future Issues
Water Resources If South Sudan decides to join the Nile Basin Initiative, more countries
could be impacted than just Sudan If South Sudan sides with Sudan and Egypt, the status quo, which
involves Egypt receiving a large percentage of the Nile’s water, will be continued
If South Sudan sides with other upstream countries like Ethiopia, may tip the scales towards a more even distribution of the water.
+Discussion Questions
Do you think it likely that South Sudan will remain a sovereign nation, or will it dissolve due to a lack of resource infrastructure? How does the likelihood of another war affect this?
If South Sudan were able to exert influence over Sudan by, for instance, constructing dams along the White Nile or circumventing Sudan’s oil distribution infrastructure, how do you think this would affect the region?
Sudan is much more established in terms of infrastructure compared to South Sudan. Considering question 2, do you think Sudan would ever consider helping South Sudan develop their infrastructure with the hopes of deterring South Sudan from constructing dams, etc.?
What role, if any, should the rest of the world play in this dispute?
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