World Environment Day 2024: JICA Boosts South Sudan’s Fight Against Land Degradation with NRSWG

Today, June 5^th, marks this year’s celebration of the World Environment Day. This years’ theme focuses on land restoration, combatting desertification, and addressing drought resilience. Land degradation poses a grave threat to our global ecosystem and requires sustained collective effort to implement urgent actions to slow down and reverse its deleterious impacts.
The Natural Resources Sector Working Group (NRSWG) was revived in July 2023 as a forum facilitating effective government-led coordination of sector activities supported by government and its development partners by forging a productive working relationship between key Line Ministries/Spending Agencies and Development Partners. NRSWG line ministries include Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security (MAFS); Ministry of Water Resources and Irrigation (MWRI); Ministry of Livestock and Fisheries (MLF); Ministry of Environment and Forestry (MEF); Ministry of Wildlife, Conservation, and Tourism (MWCT); and the Land Commission. Development Partners from UN Agencies, Multilateral Development Banks, and Bilateral Agencies form the other half of the forum members.
The NRSWG plays a critical role in coordinating efforts to address land degradation, desertification, and drought in South Sudan by fostering collaboration between government and development partners to establish a shared vision and develop a harmonized policy framework for the natural resource sector. This framework prioritizes sustainable management practices and identifies areas for investment in land restoration and drought resilience.
Furthermore, the forum deliberates on the development of a joint work plan that aligns sector programs and projects with national and international commitments on sustainable development. This ensures efforts to combat desertification and strengthen drought resilience are targeted and complementary. Moreover, regular monitoring by the NRSWG Secretariat assesses progress and identifies areas for improvement. Monitoring and evaluation reports are used to inform policy changes and ensure effective resource allocation for land restoration and drought preparedness.
Thematic Groups established by the NRSWG focus on specific challenges such as climate change related issues. These groups provide a platform for in-depth discussions and the development of targeted strategies to address desertification, land degradation, and drought.

JICA supports the NRSWG through a team of advisors offering technical assistance to the secretariat, supporting the development, revision, and/or validation of bills, policies, and strategies, facilitating the revision of priority areas, strengthening project formulation through gap analysis, and by enhancing coordination mechanisms between national and state governments, especially in policy/project formulation and implementation.
By facilitating collaboration, promoting evidence-based decision making, and ensuring alignment with national and international priorities, the NRSWG plays a vital role in fostering a more sustainable future for South Sudan's natural resources.

“Our Land. Our Future. We are #GenerationRestoration.”