Turning the Tide: Building Climate Resilience in South Sudan

In South Sudan’s Kapoeta County, the worsening water crisis defines daily life. Prolonged droughts and unpredictable rainfall have dried up traditional water sources, forcing families to walk for days to collect unsafe water. Livestock are dying, food is scarce, and the future is uncertain. But there is hope. Water at the Heart of Climate Action (WHCA), funded by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands, helps communities prepare for climate shocks before they happen. Instead of waiting to respond to disasters, communities in South Sudan are supported in building resilience together.

The human face of the water crisis

Kapoeta is increasingly exposed to climate shocks, with negative effects on local communities, livestock, and infrastructure. Community members share powerful testimonies:

“Women and young girls in Kapoeta East travel up to three days to fetch water from drying wells.”

“The water is often contaminated, and the journey exposes us to risks of violence and exhaustion. Sometimes the water we collect is so little that only the children can drink it.”

Such accounts reveal how deeply water insecurity intersects with protection risks and gender inequality. Urgent action is needed, and that’s where WHCA comes in.

Shifting from crisis response to preparedness

Climate and water risks are escalating, and the cost of inaction is growing every day. WHCA helps communities move beyond reacting to disasters and toward anticipating them:

WHCA equips local decision-makers with the knowledge and tools to act before shocks hit. This means engaging communities to strengthen risk management, improving observation and forecasting so that early warnings are timely and actionable, and putting plans in place so authorities can protect water sources and support vulnerable households.

At the same time, WHCA supports activities for sustainable water management and climate-smart livelihoods. When shocks do occur, WHCA enables rapid response by repairing and safeguarding critical water points and promoting hygiene practices. This way, communities recover stronger and are better prepared for future shocks.

Locally led and inclusive resilience

Resilience must be locally owned to last. Women, youth, and marginalized groups are engaged throughout the process: from assessing risks to designing adaptation actions and managing water systems. These approaches reflect local priorities, build on indigenous knowledge, and enhance local leadership. In Kapoeta, this shift transforms the way resilience is understood into a collective process rooted in local agency.

A holistic pathway to climate resilience

Linking preparedness, response, and adaptation creates a complete community resilience cycle. WHCA works by:

• Building disaster risk knowledge and readiness
• Acting early to reduce disaster impacts
• Supporting rapid, locally led responses when crises hit
• Driving sustainable recovery through better water access and climate-smart livelihoods

This integrated approach bridges humanitarian and development goals, turning short-term emergency response into long-term resilience.

The way forward

The experience in Kapoeta shows that tackling water insecurity and climate risk demands collaboration, anticipation, and local leadership. The WHCA partnership in South Sudan, powered by local and global hydro-meteorological, disaster management, and humanitarian actors, demonstrates how coordinated, multisectoral action can turn the tide on climate vulnerability.

By aligning preparedness, response and adaptation, the people of Kapoeta are not only addressing the immediate water crisis. They are building a resilient future where communities have the tools, systems, and confidence to withstand the shocks of a changing climate. Together, we can turn the tide, making water security the foundation for hope, health, and resilience.  

Credit: Jonston Tibilikirwa, Netherlands Red Cross in South Sudan