South Sudan

Technical support for climate adaptation solutions

Within this project, which is funded through Global Adaptation Centre (GCA), we contribute to the initiatives through the SADEP and CRAFT-1 projects to strengthen climate adaptation, resilience, and gender inclusion in South Sudan’s agricultural sector.

CRAFT-1 stands for Climate-Resilient Agri-Food Systems Transformation Programme, and SADEP stands for South Sudan Sustainable Agricultural Development Project, two agricultural investment projects in South Sudan.

The three main assignments will be:

• Agricultural Sector and Climate Risk Assessment
• Mainstreaming Gender-Responsive Climate Advisory Services and Digital Solutions
• Resilient Seed Systems Development and Gender Inclusion

The project consists of three interlinked components aimed at strengthening climate resilience in agriculture. It begins with a rapid assessment to identify major climate-related threats, using analysis of historical meteorological data, such as precipitation, temperature, wind, and humidity to understand patterns and trends in extreme weather events like droughts and floods. Climate projections and statistical tools will assess future risks, while spatial analysis will be conducted using data from public sources and relevant institutions. Stakeholder engagement, including interviews and focus groups with farmers, extension officers, researchers, and private sector actors, will be used to validate findings and inform adaptation strategies.

The second component explores the integration of gender-responsive digital climate advisory services (DCAS) into agricultural value chains. Through desk research, expert surveys, and stakeholder consultations, the team will identify barriers, opportunities, and effective extension mechanisms. The project will also map existing digital platforms delivering climate information and analyse successful case studies to inform a roadmap for scaling DCAS in South Sudan.

The final component focuses on promoting climate-resilient seed systems and gender inclusion. A feasibility study will evaluate opportunities for community-based seed production, supported by primary data collection and policy analysis. Research into resilient seed technologies and post-harvest loss reduction will be aligned with stakeholder insights and national priorities. A multi-stakeholder workshop will help define a collaborative framework for scaling efforts, in coordination with CGIAR and national systems.

The project successfully kicked-off the end of June 2025 in Juba, South Sudan.

Fig.1 Kick-off event with consortium partners in South Sudan

Following the consortium meeting, the team attended a meeting in Kenia in July with the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) and the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI). The meetings with CGIAR institutions provided technical and scientific insights relevant to the project’s key agricultural value chains. We also met with our local partners Seed Grow, a seed company based in South Sudan.

Fig. 2 and 3 Consortium meeting in Kenia with Seed Grow.

In October we shared the findings of our 𝐂𝐥𝐢𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐑𝐢𝐬𝐤 𝐀𝐧𝐚𝐥𝐲𝐬𝐞𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐕𝐮𝐥𝐧𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐛𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐀𝐬𝐬𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 (CRAVA) during a validation workshop in Juba, where multiple government officials, researchers, development agencies and union representatives were present, to align with other initiatives and identify key adaptation strategies for the country.

With the input from the various stakeholders, we can ensure that our recommendations address the needs of the people in South Sudan.

Fig. 4: Validation workshop in Juba. 
Fig. 5: Climate Risk map of Maize (historical data)