Concern Worldwide launches its BRACED programme in South Sudan

The BRACED programme in South Sudan was launched on 17 June 2015! Here below is their official press release. A colourful, energised brochure is downloadable as well.

PRESS RELEASE

15 June 2015

In 1994 the General Assembly of the United Nations declared June 17 as the World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought, in order to raise awareness among governments, organizations and individuals on the responsibility of everyone about the sustainable use of water and land and the implementation of measures to prepare and anticipate water shortages, desertification and drought.

The 2015 Theme is the ‘Attainment of food security for all through sustainable food systems’ and an opportune moment to launch the South Sudan BRACED consortium.  This consortium brings together Concern Worldwide, ACTED, FAO, the Sudd Institute and other partners who are working to build the resilience of flood and drought prone communities in Northern Bahr al Ghazal, Warrap and Lake States together with the Government of South Sudan and the United Nations Environment Programme.

Over the next three years the programme, with funding from the Department for International Development (DFID), will support over 390,000 vulnerable farmers and agro-pastoralists, particularly women and girls, in South Sudan to become resilient to climate stresses and shocks.

The consortium will work along with key Government Ministries including the Ministry of Environment as the focal agency for climate change in South Sudan; the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, as the key Ministry responsible for food security; and the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Disaster Management, who is currently developing the national policy on disaster management and analysing risks that South Sudanese citizens deal with.

Our collaboration with the United Nations Environment Programme and their work on the creating and developing environmental awareness on a national scale to support the government and the people of South Sudan will further put environmental issues on the agenda and maintain focus on environmental management.

We welcome the participation of the Government, particularly the Minister of Environment, the Hon. Deng Deng Hoc Yai, the United Nations, donors and national and international agencies and the media at this launch and the clear message that this sends on the importance of building resilience to climate extremes. 

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