A swamp in the world’s newest country is bigger than countries such as Croatia, Denmark and the Netherlands.
The South Sudanese floodplains – known as Sudd wetlands – span a staggering 57,000 km squared on average and play a crucial role to the ecological and environmental future of the fledgling nation.
DNZH Travels who documents his journeys through some of the most remote places on earth to his 520,000 TikTok followers, recently travelled across a small part of it by public boat.
He reflects: “The Sudd is actually a very fascinating place, home to many tribes who live on small islands which are very remote and hard to visit.
“Having the chance to cross it gave me a small glimpse into their life but let me just say, as amazing as it was, it was a very uncomfortable ride.”
South Sudan became an independent country in 2011 after its people voted overwhelmingly to secede from Sudan after years of civil war.
The wetlands which dominate just under 10% of the entire country’s landmass play a vital role ecologically, serving as the first resting point with an abundance of water as birds make their way south for the winter.
Sitting on the edge of the Sahara Desert, climate change has put this water resource under threat, with the wetlands shrinking year on year since 2010, putting in peril not only wildlife but also local tribes who rely on them.
The issue is extenuated by Egypt. With the wetlands being served by the Nile, attempts by Egyptian engineers to dredge the river and draw more water through Egypt threaten to cut off the area’s one and only water source.
The Sudanese civil war left the wetlands with scars, the impact of which are still being felt.
Violent clashes were seen in the north and south of the wetlands, damaging large parts of the swamp and leaving thousands of unexploded ordnance which will pose a threat to locals for years to come.
In recent years, oil has been found beneath the wetlands, adding another factor into the crucial task of preserving and restoring them.
Mining has already begun taking place, with oil extracted from the edges of the marshlands, with dozens of leases in the process of being negotiated with the government.
Whilst some point to the potential for economic development from the discovery of oil, others point to the potential for spills, waste and leak disposals as reasons for concern.
