In brief
South Sudan's youth are urging national and international leaders to translate high‑level climate pledges into actionable steps, highlighting the urgent need for climate‑resilient school infrastructure, upgraded early‑warning systems, and immediate relief for flood‑affected families. The activists argue that embedding climate resilience into education and national adaptation plans is essential for safeguarding vulnerable communities. Their pleas arrive as the world heads to COP31 in Antalya.
In the water‑logged streets of Juba, South Sudan’s teenage climate activists are demanding that governments move past lofty promises and start delivering protective measures for schools and families suffering from floods, drought, and extreme heat.
Siama Santino, 17, walks to school each morning wading through deep water and removing her shoes to reach the classroom, a daily reality that underscores the stakes of climate change.
"Every morning when you wake up, you have to think of how much you are going to move in water or first remove your shoes to reach school," Siama Santino told Xinhua.
Santai’s eyes were shining with urgency when she explained that in 2024 her classmates had been forced out of school for two weeks because the summer heat made classrooms unbearably hot.
Amoko Ronny, 18, a student and children’s council representative, highlighted how climate shocks are worsening poverty levels.
"Children must be the top priority," Amoko Ronny said, urging greater investment in climate education, resilient school infrastructure and early warning systems to help children and communities prepare for disasters.
He added that repeat floods have destroyed crops, deepening food shortages and leaving many families unable to afford basic meals.
The growing climate challenges—serious flooding, chronic drought and rising temperatures—are threatening South Sudan’s education, food security and public health, according to reports from Xinhua.
Local NGOs, especially Save the Children, organized an event in Juba with the Ministry of Environment and Forestry to bring the issue to national attention.
During the gathering, the youths stressed the need for climate‑resilient school infrastructure, updated early‑warning systems, and immediate relief supplies for households displaced by recent flooding.
They also called on the government and civil society to invest in sustainable agriculture and promote clean energy sources to reduce reliance on charcoal and curb environmental degradation.
Siama Santino stressed the importance of climate education, emergency preparedness training and targeted humanitarian aid for families relocated by floods and other climate disasters.
Her appeal highlighted that empirical knowledge of climate risks can empower vulnerable families to act before the next disaster strikes.
These demands arrive as the global community prepares for COP31 in Antalya, Turkey, from November 9 to 20, where leaders are expected to negotiate climate commitments.
The youths argue that the lofty pledges climate negotiations produce need to be turned into concrete actions at the national level, emphasizing the importance of embedding climate resilience into both education systems and broader adaptation plans.
They highlight that COP31 offers a critical opportunity for South Sudan to secure international support for concrete projects that will protect communities from future climate crises.
In the absence of real investments, previous pledges have largely remained intangible, leaving many South Sudanese still exposed to the consequences of climate change.
By bringing their voices to the forefront, the teenagers are urging world leaders to prioritize their communities for immediate acts of climate adaptation and resilience.
Their message is clear: to safeguard the future of South Sudan’s children and communities, leaders must translate climate agreements into on‑the‑ground projects—resilient schools, reliable warning systems, and targeted relief—before the next flood or heatwave arrives.
