Context

Mundri West County in South Sudan has been cyclically devastated by floods over the past 5 years. Not only has this caused damage to public infrastructure, homes and farming land, reducing access to basic water and electricity, but it has also destroyed lives and livelihoods. Flooding in 2022 and 2023 had severe consequences in Mundri, where thousands of people lost their homes and in the aftermath, many people were forced to leave for neighbouring counties in search of shelter, food, assistance for the wounded, and to avoid the epidemic outbreaks that had been brought on by the floods. A lack of reliable climate information and effective early warning systems and plans means that the local population, whose livelihood revolves around rain-fed agriculture, find it difficult to predict and cope with climatic events. Furthermore, detachment and mistrust among diverse local groups, including farmers and pastoralists, greatly hinders locally-led actions and existing coping mechanisms from effectively responding to these challenges.

Project objectives

The project’s objectives include a hands-on hazard & solutions mapping exercise and the restitution to the wider community through awareness raising sessions, conducted directly by the local groups. It aims to map the climate patterns, risks of climate-related disasters (floods and unpredictable rain patterns), and resources available to prevent and/or cope with such risks in Mundri West County (Western Equatoria State).

Project activities

Youth Empowerment and Development Aid (YEDA), together with local partners and Humanitarian OpenStreetMapping Team (HOT), are implementing a hands-on hazards and solutions mapping exercise with the local community that aims to map the locations vulnerable to flooding and the resources available to prevent and cope with such risks in Mundri West County.  The mapping team engages five different community groups of 10 participants each (women, PWDs, youths, community leaders, and elderly) to inform and co-create this mapping. They hope to develop an evacuation and preparedness plan in collaboration with fellow NGOs and local governments.

The project further aims to provide communities with better resources to prepare for disasters by revitalising the local village savings and loans associations and cash-voucher assistance. The latter can be used to purchase kits that become essential when an unpredictable climatic event occurs.

Project outputs

• 360 degree street view mapping of Mundri West County
• Mapping of flood vulnerabilities and key infrastructures
•  Co-created evacuation and preparedness plan.