By Alan Clement
The Ministry of Water Resources and Irrigation (MWRI) has upgraded the Malakal and Anakdiar hydrological stations as part of broader government efforts to rebuild and modernise South Sudan’s water-monitoring network, officials said this week.
According to a MWRI technical update, the emergency work focused on improving the accuracy of water-level and rainfall measurements, which remain essential for flood forecasting, climate-resilience planning and managing water resources.
“Reliable hydrological data is the backbone of early-warning systems, and these upgrades will help us detect and communicate risks much faster,” read the MWRI update.
According to the Ministry’s update, the rehabilitation included installing new staff gauges, maintaining existing rain-gauge systems, clearing obstructions that had been affecting readings, conducting surveys to enhance flood-level calibration, and restoring equipment that had been damaged by years of underfunding and repeated flooding.
MWRI stressed that the upgrades are part of a nationwide programme to restore monitoring capacity after decades of conflict, displacement and environmental degradation severely disrupted the country’s hydrological infrastructure.
“Many of our stations were destroyed or left non-functional for years. We are now gradually bringing them back so communities can receive timely and accurate information,” the Ministry noted in a statement.
Hydrological stations across Upper Nile and Jonglei have been particularly vulnerable, with persistent flooding since 2019 displacing hundreds of thousands and highlighting gaps in early-warning systems.
Climate experts have repeatedly warned that South Sudan will continue to experience more extreme weather patterns, making reliable monitoring crucial for disaster preparedness.
The ministry said improved data from stations like Malakal and Anakdiar will support not only flood alerts but also long-term water-management planning, including irrigation, river navigation, and urban drainage design.
“Strengthening this network is essential for protecting lives and livelihoods,” the official noted.
MWRI confirmed that additional upgrades to other stations are planned in the coming months as part of a phased strategy to establish a functional, nationwide hydrological network capable of supporting climate adaptation and community resilience.