South Sudan has outlined its priorities for flood forecasting, groundwater assessment and climate-resilient infrastructure at a conference in Egypt, as President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi called for cooperation among Nile Basin countries while warning against actions that threaten Egypt’s water security.
Sultan Lam Tungwar Kueigwong, Undersecretary at South
Sudan’s Ministry of Water Resources and Irrigation, said the country is seeking technical expertise and partnerships to strengthen its capacity to
manage water resources and address development needs.
“Our interest here is clear and professional: how to
strengthen Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM), how to deploy modern
tools for flood forecasting, groundwater assessment, water quality monitoring,
and how to build climate-resilient water infrastructure that serves our
people,” Tungwar said in a statement.
The ninth Cairo Water Week opened on October 25 and runs
until October 29 under the theme “Water as a Catalyst for Peace, Shared
Prosperity, and a Sustainable Planet.” South Sudan’s delegation said ministers
and delegates from 119 countries were attending.
The conference comes amid longstanding disagreements over
the Nile’s management, particularly between Egypt and Ethiopia over the Grand
Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD).
In his opening address on October 25, El-Sisi said Egypt
supported the right of Nile Basin countries to development but maintained that
this should not come at the expense of other countries’ water security.
“Any wager that Egypt will accept a fait accompli or
compromise its water security is a losing wager,” El-Sisi said.
The Egyptian president called for cooperation based on
international law, consultation and coordination. He also highlighted
cooperation with countries in the southern Nile Basin on energy, agriculture
and irrigation projects, and called for a similar approach in the Eastern Nile
Basin involving Egypt, Sudan and Ethiopia.
Egypt relies heavily on the Nile for its freshwater supply
and has raised concerns over the GERD, which Ethiopia says is intended to
increase electricity generation and support economic development. The two
countries remain at odds over the dam’s operation and its implications for
downstream water security.
Tungwar said South Sudan wanted to use international forums
to exchange expertise and build partnerships.
“We come to these platforms to learn, to share our
experience, and to build genuine partnerships,” he said. “Our position has
always been for constructive dialogue, technical cooperation, and partnership
for sustainable development.”
Better flood forecasting could help authorities prepare for
rising water levels, while groundwater assessments and water-quality monitoring
could guide decisions on water supplies and infrastructure.
South Sudan is also preparing for the 2026 United Nations
Water Conference, scheduled for December 8 to 10 in Abu Dhabi and co-hosted by
the United Arab Emirates and Senegal.
Tungwar said the Ministry of Water Resources and Irrigation is organizing South Sudan’s participation, with a focus on accelerating
Sustainable Development Goal 6, which aims to ensure access to water and
sanitation for all, and linking innovation with investment.