The outskirts of Malakal – in South Sudan’s Upper Nile state are almost naked. Some deserted residential areas during the conflict are covered with shrubs and slender trees that are trying to emerge but are scarce. Inhabitants say the forests are gone compared to years before the conflict started in 2013 (between 2009-2012).

Within Malakal town, Paloich, Renk, Malakal, and any other city in Upper Nile state, charcoal selling is a profitable business either on the streets or in kiosks and mini shops.

This charcoal is burned in the forests near towns and transported for bulk sales. In Malakal, a full sack costs 10,000 South Sudan pounds (SSP). When someone produces 100 sacks of charcoal, this person is likely to pocket about 1,000,000 South Sudan Pounds (SSP) for his family. 

The business is dominated by men however, women who might participate in the business may only buy sacks of charcoal put them in small polythene bags and sell them each at 500 South Sudan Pounds (SSP) there one sack might earn her about 5000 South Sudan Pounds (SSP) profit.

John Tut (not real name) a resident of Malakal says making charcoal has become the biggest business in town because some people do not have any other source of income to sustain their families. “It has become a source of living for others who have no other way to get some money, so they go to the bush and chop down some trees to make charcoal and then bring them to town for sale. Others are cutting down trees for timber,” Tut explains.

During the visit to the area, the Infonile team observed that the majority of the people who partake in charcoal burning are soldiers. Other charcoal burners are refugees who do not receive enough food to feed their families as well as pastoralists who settle in the forests of Upper Nile State.

Tut argues that a large-scale production of charcoal may result in great deforestation. He says the government must reactivate a policy of first licensing people to be permitted to cut trees. He also suggests that the government should build the capacity of local governments to monitor and protect the forests.

“Many people are cutting down the trees. And even that part, which is at the layout of the town (forests located at the outskirts of Malakal, especially in farther villages), has been finished. And they are coming nearer to the town. This should be prevented by the government,” he adds. 

When you travel from Malakal town in Malakal County to Paloich payam in Melut county, Upper Nile State, you will find an area where there are freshly cut trees mostly red or white acacia, and logs of wood heaped along the road to be burned for charcoal. Sometimes, you will find a heap of logs of wood burning on the roadside or rather find charcoal-burning pioneers as busy as bees on the roadside, not even afraid of the law enforcers.

Causes of deforestation

James Obaj (not real name) says the conflict is the major driver of deforestation because it deprives people of food. He says a vast majority resorted to forests for survival instead of creating other avenues to earn a living.

He says war leads to a shortage of food and deforestation becomes a source of income either when it is for charcoal, poles for building, or firewood. 

This reporter witnessed other trees cut especially the desert dates tree (Lalob tree). They are either cut for charcoal or to be used as poles for buildings. In Maban County where refugees are settling, it is common to see tree stems near Genderassa Refugee Camp in Jinkwata Payam, Maban county, and even trees burning for charcoal.

Some citizens have also embarked on large sales of poles cut directly from the forest, but some government officials in Maban say there are no proper laws protecting their forests.

Most of the refugee houses are built using wood cut directly from the forests. Some sell wood after cutting it as well. However, some refugees say they are sometimes prevented by the host community from cutting trees. 

Although the felling of trees for charcoal and poles is the most visible cause of deforestation in Upper Nile State, it may not be the only factor in depleting forests. Burning of bushes is a challenge and this leads to the destruction of young trees. 

Setting bushes on fire or areas around the compound is a common practice in Upper Nile State and nobody considers the negative impacts it has both on the soil and forests. 

In addition, several years of floods have led to withering of trees. This is evident in an area between Malakal and Paloich where you see some trees standing lifeless in water.

Ater Peter (not real name), a government official in the Ministry of Agriculture, environment, and Forestry also says stagnant water has been standing on the way to forest revival for the last three years.

“We discovered that most of the trees dried up due to the flooding. Due to floods especially in the last three years, forests have been covered with stagnant water. When the water stays for so long, trees dry up,” says Ater.

Hope is only affixed on the sprouting stems of the cut red and white acacia trees between Paloich and Malakal that the forest may merge again. But years of waiting for these trees to regrow can have a notable impact on the climate and environment.

According to statistics from Global Forests Watch, 1,160 Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) fire alerts were reported in Upper Nile State between the 12^th of May 2024 and the 19^th of May 2024. 77 which accounts for 6.6 % of these alerts were high confidence alerts, while 1.083 were other alerts, says Global Forest Watch. 

Also, Global Forests Watch states that this year (2024) has recorded the highest confidence alerts with 6865 VIIRS fire alerts; a number it says is unequaled compared to previous dating back to 2012. A high confidence statistical measure means that the data has 9 out of 10 accuracy or 95 percent accuracy. This shows that this data is 95 percent accurate.

The total number of VIIRS fire alerts reported between the 15^th of May 2023 and the 13^th of May 2024 was 7,200 VIIRS fire alerts. 

It also reports that 217 deforestation alerts were reported in the state between the 7^th of May 2024 and the 14^th of May 2024, covering a total of 3 hectares of land.

In 2010 for instance, Upper Nile State had 71 percent tree cover. Melut county had the highest tree cover with 503 hectares, Baliet county followed with 386 hectares, Maiwut followed with 74 hectares, Sobat had 27.9 hectares of tree cover while Maban had 1.27 hectares of tree cover.

In 2000, an assessment of a sample of land, 0.76% of Upper Nile State’s land cover had over 30 percent tree cover, no plantation cover, and 7.67 mega hectares were other vegetation.  

From 2000-2020, Global Forest Watch States that Upper Nile gained up to 236 kilo hectares (kha) of tree cover equivalent to 22% tree cover gain in South Sudan.

According to Global Forest Watch, the Upper Nile got a change in tree cover with 612 kha of stable forest, 236 kha of forest gain, 73.7 kha, of forest loss, and 332 ha of forest disturbed from 2000 to 2020.

 The Percentage of net Forest change in the Upper Nile state between 2000-2020

Between 2001 and 2021, Upper Nile State had a 64 percent tree cover loss of 146 hectares more than the average of 29 hectares.

IOM released a report on deforestation in 2021 warning of desertification as a possible negative impact of deforestation because of the extraction of forestry products in the northern part of South Sudan which includes Upper Nile State. 

It quotes the National Ministry of Environment’s national environmental policy 2015 that 50-200 km along the northern border has turned from a semi-arid desert to a desert. It says this is due to the loss of trees which act as wind breakers, loss of water sources, and land degradation.

Response and challenges

The government of South Sudan has legalized the cutting of some tree species, especially the white and red acacia. The government permits people who seek permission to cut these trees for charcoal.

The reason is that these trees can regrow after two to three years. The second reason is that when people are prevented from cutting down these trees, they are at risk of starving with their families due to the current economic crisis.

“Our forest is just growing alone. It does not need somebody to go and grow some types of trees. But what the government says all the time is that there is another tree called the Lalob tree (desert date tree); that is not recommended to be cut. But for the rest like the white and red acacia tree, if you cut them down this year, after two years it will grow up again,” says John Tut. 

Ater Peter, says many people go illegally into the forest and cut trees that are forbidden to be cut. But when asked for permission given the economic crisis, the ministry allows people but guides them on specific trees to cut.

“But for the livelihood, we normally use to give the approval; and guide them which tree to cut and which tree not to cut,” he says.

He says the government allows people to cut red and white acacia for charcoal, firewood, or poles but does not allow Lalob tree (desert dates) because it does not grow after cutting.

He says some people sometimes use machines to cut down trees. He says the use of machines damages the forest because even the trees that have the capability of regrowing after cutting will not.

However, says the ministry lacks vehicles for transportation to counties and payams (a local government administration that comes after a county and is equivalent to a sub-county or division in other local government systems) to monitor the forests. He says many areas are not accessible because of poor roads and floods currently making the work of the ministry very hard.

He says there was a little improvement in 2023 compared to 2021 and 2022, because the rain pattern reduced, and floods receded. 

“In 2023, the rain was not too much, and the flooding also reduced a bit. So, when we compare the loss this year, it has improved. When we compare the loss due to climate change this year, is a bit better so we don’t know what is going to happen this coming rainy season,” Ater explains.

He says lack of mobility is impeding the government’s plan to deploy forest guards. He says they do sensitize the people through local radio so that the people can be aware of the importance of forests.

“There are counties that are not accessible now because of roads and also security factors and currently we are operating in Renk, Maban, Akoka, Baliet, Malakal, and Fashoda. We however realise that Malakal, Renk, and Melut are experiencing high rates of deforestation,” Chol says adding that “these are the areas that we are going to prioritise and deploy our forestry guards to take care and protect.”

He also says that the director has requested the state government for a vehicle to be provided to help their team reach unreachable areas. He adds that they lack a serious partner supporting the environment and forestry in Upper Nile State except for those NGOs who provide seedlings to the directorate.

He urges communities across the state to conserve forests so that the place does not turn into a desert.

Recommendations

James Obaj recommends the pursuit of peace and stability if the forests are to be properly protected. He also recommends reafforestation as another solution to deforestation in Upper Nile State.

Chol Monyjok, director of administration and finance at the Upper Nile State Ministry of Agriculture, environment, and Forestry says sensitisation will improve the status of deforestation in Upper Nile State.

“This thing can be improved through awareness, through deploying our forestry guards in the forest and these are the next steps that we are moving in. Each location we need at least to have forestry guard to be deployed to prevent those who are randomly cutting trees,” he says.

On the other hand, the IOM deforestation report 2021 recommended several interventions. These include the government implementing policies to hold those depleting forests accountable, funding of the environment and forestry sector, reforestation, implementation of poverty alleviation measures to avoid dependence on forestry products for survival, gender-sensitive programmes to help women with financial support to revert to the use of clean energy.

Other recommendations include the promotion of the use of affordable fuel options such as solar panels, gas, and generators instead of firewood and charcoal, education to change mindsets that support dependence on forest products, strengthening market systems including improved economic situation such as the fight against inflation, natural disasters and conflict, and preparation for returnees with extensive support to resettle without exploiting forestry resources for their livelihoods.

IOM Deforestation Report 2021 recommended the following remedies to deforestation in South Sudan:

1. The government should install and implement policies to hold those depleting forests accountable.
2. Funding of the environment and forestry sector.
3. Reforestation
4. Poverty alleviation measures to avoid dependence on forestry products for survival.
5. Gender-sensitive programmes to help women with financial support revert to the use of clean energy.
6. Affordable fuel options such as solar panels, gas, and generators instead of firewood and charcoal.
7. Education to change mindsets that support dependence on forest products.
8. Strengthened market systems including improved economic situations such as the fight against inflation, natural disasters, and conflict.
9. Preparation for returnees with extensive support to resettle without exploiting forestry resources for their livelihoods.
10. Sustainable shelter designs.
11. Regulation and accountability
12. Integration of environmental assessment into rapid humanitarian assessment.

In my view, there should be planting of other tree varieties in the forest, especially during the rainy season, and in homes to help attract rainfall. There should be a policy that any person who cuts a tree should plant two or three seedlings to replace the cut tree. This will help forests thrive and the forestry policies currently in place should be strictly enforced.

This story was produced with the support of InfoNile.