Across South Sudan, people are caught in the crossfire of a climate crisis which is amplifying an already dire humanitarian situation and precarious state of security.

In recent years, the country has experienced a myriad of challenges, including extraordinary rainfall, severe flooding, prolonged droughts, and rampant locust infestations which are threatening food security, agricultural livelihoods, and causing displacement and intercommunal conflict.

Women bear the brunt of these escalating crises, facing increased vulnerability fueled by deep-rooted gender inequalities.

To help tackle these threats, the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) hosted a workshop on gender and climate security to improve collaboration and develop robust, gender and climate-responsive strategies that pave the way toward peace and sustainable development.

“The frequent disruptions and displacements caused by climate and experienced by South Sudan over the years have not only contributed to a cycle of poverty but also led to conflicts over competition over dwindling natural resources, such as land, including its access and ownership, water and food,” said UNMISS Deputy Special Representative of the Secretary-General, Humanitarian and Resident Coordinator, Anita Kiki Gbeho.

“These risks are compounded for women, and women in South Sudan are no different. They face deep-rooted cultural norms that limit their adaptive capacity to climate shocks and increase their exposure to climate-induced conflicts. Patriarchal norms further hinder women's access to resources.”

Workshop participants explored innovative approaches to close gender gaps and boost climate resilience at the grassroots level, focusing on addressing security threats and building sustainable livelihoods.

“We are trying to explore gender-responsive pathways to climate change impact in the country. We are also trying to see how national policies and plans will be implemented in a gender-responsive way as well as how to build the resilience of different communities and groups within the climate change impact,” said the Under-Secretary for the Ministry of Gender, Child and Social Welfare, Ester Ikere Eluzai.

The priority is to develop a better understanding of climate security risks affecting women, girls, and other vulnerable groups and develop strategies that integrate gender considerations into strategies to combat those risks.

“We have been working in silos. Climate issues were not connected to the issue of how gender is being impacted or how it contributes to peace and security,” said the Under-Secretary for the Ministry of Environment and Forestry, Joseph Africano Bartel.

“We are now trying to come up with strategies to integrate these nexuses, so that when we address climate issues, we ensure that gender issues that are affected by the impacts of climate change are included. At the same time, addressing those issues should contribute to peace and security.”

The aim is to create partnerships to tackle the climate crisis in a holistic way and ensure that no one is left behind, including women and girls, in the effort to build a peaceful and prosperous nation.