South Sudan, Sustainable Development through improved Local Governance
The SDLG South Sudan Water project aims to support a more sustainable and resilient future for communities in South Sudan by improving local water governance and strengthening preparedness for climate-related hazards. The project works with local governments and communities in Greater Kapoeta and Bor to improve access to reliable water services, reduce water-related conflicts and build resilience to floods and other climate risks.
Objective
The project aims to help local governments and communities manage water-related challenges more effectively in areas affected by climate stress, water scarcity and weak public services. In Greater Kapoeta, the focus is on improving water governance, strengthening service delivery and reducing tensions between domestic and agricultural water users. In Bor County and Bor Municipality, the project supports local governments in managing flood risks more effectively, particularly in areas facing climate and water stress.
Across both areas, the project strengthens local governance structures and supports more inclusive and transparent decision-making. It helps local authorities become better equipped to coordinate, oversee and support water and disaster risk management. At the same time, it encourages communities to take an active role in planning, decision-making and the management of local water services.
ApproachÂ
The project combines practical improvements in water and disaster risk management with stronger local governance. In Greater Kapoeta, it supports Community-based Water Management Committees that report breakdowns quickly, collect water user fees transparently and use these funds to pay local pump mechanics and improve water infrastructure.
At payam level, WASH Forums help coordinate maintenance services, monitor quality standards and support fair and affordable pricing. A payam is a local administrative level between community and county government. At county level, the project works with local authorities and the Local Government Board to strengthen oversight, coordination and support across the water sector.
In Bor, the project focuses on improving disaster risk management, early warning systems and evacuation planning. It supports the development of flood and disaster risk management plans, preparedness measures and training for key stakeholders. Stakeholder roundtables bring together local authorities, communities and other actors to jointly plan and coordinate responses to flood risks and other climate-related hazards.
Women’s participation is an important part of the approach. Through Women in WASH Groups and the Women in Local Government Association, the project helps ensure that women are represented in decision-making, planning and implementation.
The project also connects local practice with national policy processes. Lessons from the SDLG programme support the development of WASH sector coordination guidelines in Eastern Equatoria State and contribute to the review of national water policies and the development of a new water bill. In this way, local experiences help inform policy and decision-making at state and national level.
Results
Communities in Greater Kapoeta now have far more reliable access to water than eight years ago. Water points that were once operational only 20% of the time now function up to 90% of the time. Repair times have also fallen significantly, from several months to 1 or 2 days.
These improvements are the result of stronger local governance, better coordination and greater community ownership. Local committees are better able to report and respond to breakdowns, payam-level forums help coordinate services and county authorities provide stronger oversight and support.
In Bor, local governments in the five selected payams are expected to become better prepared for floods and other climate-related hazards. By 2026, they are expected to develop and implement coping mechanisms together with their communities, including integrated, community-based flood and disaster risk management plans.
Together, these results show how stronger local governance can improve both access to water and resilience to climate-related hazards. Building on this progress, the multi-level governance approach to the water and WASH sector has strong potential for scaling across other regions of South Sudan.