Ministries Pledge to Consider Wildlife Migration in Development

(JUBA) – Government ministries and development agencies have begun weaving wildlife data into decisions on roads, mining and other major projects. Workshops in Juba and Pibor in May gathered about 50 representatives at each site to examine how information on animal movements and connected landscapes can guide planning.

The sessions were hosted by the Ministry of Wildlife Conservation and Tourism, working with the conservation group African Parks.

The European Union mission in South Sudan provided backing. Organisers said the aim was to put ecological connectivity at the centre of future development choices.

Participants worked through ways to use landscape-level data so that economic growth does not sever the corridors used by the Great Nile Migration.

That migration, linking Boma and Badingilo national parks, carries more than six million antelopes across the country each year.

Officials stressed that protecting these routes also protects the livelihoods of communities that depend on healthy grasslands and water systems.

The Juba workshop drew officials from national ministries handling land, infrastructure, mining, and environment portfolios.

The Pibor workshop brought together state and local authorities, as well as community representatives from the Greater Pibor Administrative Area.

Both sessions included practical mapping exercises and discussions of actual proposed road alignments and extractive concessions.

African Parks said the meetings mark a step towards stronger cooperation across sectors. The group noted that incorporating wildlife needs early in the planning stage is far cheaper and more effective than trying to fix broken migration routes later.

It also fits South Sudan’s bid to have the Boma-Badingilo migratory landscape added to the UNESCO World Heritage list in July 2026.

No new policy was adopted at the workshops. Rather, they produced a shared understanding and technical recommendations that participating ministries will carry back to their own planning units.

A follow-up technical session is expected before the end of the year to review how the data has been used in specific project assessments.