Toxic Floods?
May 23, 2023
Climate, Natural Hazards and Risks to South Sudan’s Oil Infrastructure.
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The discovery and subsequent exploitation of oil fields in South Sudan has brought the country both wealth and woes. Armed conflicts and civil wars fought over control of oil fields have led to the killing of thousands, with many more wounded and displaced. Meanwhile, these conflicts have also resulted in long-term environmental implications from damaged oil infrastructure, especially with regards to local pollutants in and around oil fields.
Against this backdrop, climate change and its impact on precipitation and seasonal flood patterns can lead to an exacerbation of an already dire situation, particularly with the risks posed by flooding in and around the oil fields. In January 2021, PAX started mapping oil fields and related infrastructure in South Sudan with the expectation that floods would affect these locations, while also increasing the monitoring of flood plains during the rainy season.