South Sudan

Environment

South Sudan

Climate

characterized by warm temperatures and seasonal precipitation shaped by the yearly movement of the Inter-Tropical Convergence Zone; the most significant rainfall occurs in the southern uplands and decreases towards the north

Land use

other

43.8% (2023 est.)

forest

11.3% (2023 est.)

agricultural land

44.9% (2023 est.)

agricultural land: arable land

arable land: 3.9% (2023 est.)

agricultural land: permanent crops

permanent crops: 0.1% (2023 est.)

agricultural land: permanent pasture

permanent pasture: 40.8% (2023 est.)

Urbanization

urban population

21.2% of total population (2023)

rate of urbanization

4.12% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

Methane emissions

other

12.7 kt (2019-2021 est.)

waste

120.2 kt (2019-2021 est.)

energy

59.4 kt (2022-2024 est.)

agriculture

696 kt (2019-2021 est.)

Waste and recycling

municipal solid waste generated annually

2.681 million tons (2024 est.)

Environmental issues

contamination of water sources; insufficient access to clean drinking water; conservation of wildlife and decline in biodiversity; deforestation; erosion of soil; desertification; periods of drought

Total water withdrawal

municipal

193 million cubic meters (2022 est.)

industrial

225 million cubic meters (2022 est.)

agricultural

240 million cubic meters (2022 est.)

Carbon dioxide emissions

total emissions

1.725 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)

from petroleum and other liquids

1.725 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)

Particulate matter emissions

20.6 micrograms per cubic meter (2019 est.)

Total renewable water resources

49.5 billion cubic meters (2022 est.)

International environmental agreements

party to

Biodiversity, Climate Change, Paris Agreement on Climate Change, Desertification, Protection of the Ozone Layer, Wetlands

signed, but not ratified

none of the selected agreements