A reservoir built through a UN peacekeeping project in Terekeka county, South Sudan, is intended to ease tensions between farmers and cattle herders competing for scarce water and grazing resources. The artificial lake was completed in one month as part of a quick impact project initiated by the UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS), which received community support during construction.
The location was chosen far enough from farmland to reduce competition while remaining close enough for farming communities to benefit, UNMISS said. The reservoir was designed to provide farmers with a reliable water source for crops while reducing the need for cattle keepers to venture onto farmland in search of water for livestock, a longstanding source of tension and violence in the area.
An underground water source discovered during construction began naturally filling the roughly 3,200-square-metre reservoir, eliminating the need for a cement lining that could have contaminated the groundwater. This meant the reservoir could continue refilling even during the dry season, UNMISS said.
New cattle camps have begun settling around the reservoir, and members of displaced communities including the Wonduruba Mundari have started returning home. Construction workers and project partners noted that farmers and herders from surrounding communities arrived with tools to help build a pathway to the site once news of the project spread. "What was particularly special about constructing this project was the excitement of the Rego payam community," said Point Investment Company project manager Juman Emmanuel.
Whether the reservoir will ultimately reduce cattle-related violence remains unclear, but UNMISS officials said its impact has already extended beyond water supply. In a community long divided by competition over scarce resources, the project has brought farmers and herders together around a shared resource.
