Rooted in Hope: One Man’s Vision for Greener Ground in South Sudan

When the floodwaters arrived in Bentiu, South Sudan, Wuor Gatnyai lost everything he had worked so hard to build.

“I had planted 50,000 seedlings,” he said, standing between rows of new growth in his tree nursery. “But the water took all of them. I lost the money I invested and starting again felt almost impossible.”  

Wuor is no stranger to rebuilding. Like many in Unity State, he was displaced during the 2013 conflict and spent years living in a protection site. When the signing of the peace agreement in 2018 brought a sense of stability, he made the decision to return home and start anew. In 2020, he began his nursery with just a few fruit trees – mango, guava, and orange – hoping it might support his family and community.

However, repeated flooding swept through the region, destroying homes, farmland, and businesses. For Wuor, the loss of his livelihood and sole source of income was devastating. Yet, like many across South Sudan, he refused to give up. With seeds from a single mango tree that had survived the flooding, he began again. 

Years of conflict, political uncertainty, and increasingly severe climate shocks have made South Sudan one of the world’s most displacement-affected countries. Millions have been forced from their homes, either by violence or by recurrent floods that have rendered entire areas uninhabitable.

In South Sudan, one in four people is affected by drought or flooding, often leading to tensions over land and resources between farming and herding communities. In Unity State’s Bentiu area, the crisis is especially severe. Seasonal flooding, worsened by environmental degradation, regularly submerges homes and farmland. For communities already displaced by conflict, these floods make recovery even harder – disrupting agriculture, cutting off access to markets and schools, and increasing the risk of future displacement.

For many families displaced by flooding in South Sudan, returning home isn’t always possible. Land access, damaged infrastructure, and ongoing insecurity often stand in the way. At the same time, widespread tree cutting for firewood or farming leaves the land without its natural defences, making it even more vulnerable to future floods. This creates a cycle of environmental fragility, food insecurity, and repeated displacement. In Rubkona County alone, over 250,000 internally displaced people and 37,000 returnees are facing these growing pressures. 

Reforestation as a Path to Resilience

In the face of these challenges, communities are taking action to help rehabilitate the land and mitigate the impact of future flooding – including through reforestation efforts. Planting trees helps rebuild natural ecosystems, improves soil stability, and reduces water runoff – all critical in flood-prone areas like Bentiu.  

As part of a broader, European Union-funded response to the Sudan crisis, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) piloted a business support initiative to advance recovery in Greater Bentiu. Targeting returnees, internally displaced persons, and host communities, the initiative aimed to create jobs and foster development while also addressing challenges related to reconciliation and resilience. Businesses were selected based on their use of climate-conscious practices, promoting recovery approaches that are both sustainable and responsive to local climate risks.

Within this initiative, IOM provided Wuor's nursery with a USD 5,000 grant to enhance and expand its operations. With this support, he increased production to 70,000 seedlings and added over twenty new varieties of trees. His nursery now plays a key role in a five-year reforestation campaign led by the Unity State Ministry of Agriculture, supported by IOM and the EU, which aims to plant more than one million trees across the region. In addition to restoring the environment, the initiative is creating vital livelihood opportunities – particularly for young people – who earn income by planting and maintaining trees.

The trees are planted in public spaces, around schools, and along dykes designed to protect flood-prone communities. They stabilize the soil, reduce runoff, and help prepare currently submerged farmland for future planting. But for Wuor, the impact goes beyond reforestation. 

“These trees are a source of income and food,” he said. “They also protect us from future floods. I can pay for my children’s school fees, provide food, and even employ others.”  

IOM's support allowed Wuor to hire additional workers from the community. These team members now help care for the seedlings and prepare them for planting.  

“This nursery is helping more than just my family,” Wuor said. “It’s helping others provide for their own.” 

From Environmental Recovery to Lasting Solutions

This reforestation initiative is part of IOM’s broader strategy to support durable solutions to displacement in South Sudan and address the impacts of climate change. The Organization is working to ensure that returns and relocations are safe, voluntary, and sustainable, while also supporting communities in areas of return to accommodate returnees. This is particularly critical as more people return from Sudan or seek alternatives to prolonged displacement in sites like the ones in Bentiu, where flooding and other extreme weather events pose major challenges to sustainability.

Through business support, job creation, and environmental restoration, IOM is helping lay the foundation for more secure and climate-resilient communities. Some of the nursery’s seedlings will be used in a pilot project to help internally displaced families resettle voluntarily in Bentiu Town. Participants earn income by planting vegetation around their new homes, contributing to greener, more resilient communities.  

“By tackling the root causes of vulnerability – from climate challenges to lack of jobs and limited infrastructure – we’re supporting communities in Bentiu and Rubkona to become stronger and more self-reliant,” said Vijaya Souri, IOM South Sudan Chief of Mission. “However, planting trees is just one part of the solution; sustainable recovery also depends on access to housing, livelihoods, and safe drinking water.”

In a country deeply affected by displacement and environmental degradation, Wuor’s nursery stands as a quiet but powerful example of what local solutions can achieve. His vision extends far beyond Bentiu.

“My hope is to expand this to other counties, even other states, so that every home in South Sudan will have a tree,” he said. “One day, children will benefit from these trees. They’ll have fruit full of the nutrients they need to grow strong.”

Recovery in South Sudan is about more than returning home – it's about creating the conditions for lasting stability and growth. Through local leadership and sustained support, communities are reclaiming their environment, rebuilding their livelihoods, and shaping a more hopeful future.