Bentiu’s Last Stand: Can the Flood Defenses Hold Against Record Rains?

In the heart of South Sudan, Bentiu stands as a stark symbol of vulnerability amid a climate crisis.

Nestled within a sprawling lake that seems to grow with each passing storm, this town of 300,000 residents is bracing for what could be its most perilous test yet.

The situation in Bentiu is dire. The town’s streets are perilously close to being submerged, and the dykes that protect it are being watched more closely than ever. These barriers, built to stave off disaster, have already faced their share of close calls.

Last year, during a particularly severe wet season, the surrounding waters came within a mere 30 centimeters of breaching the defenses.

This year, the forecast is even more ominous. Predictions suggest rainfall could reach as much as 1.5 meters, a figure that threatens to overwhelm the dykes despite recent emergency work by 274 Pakistani engineers.

These UN troops have raised the dykes to over four meters, but their leader, Lt Gen Mohan Subramanian, remains deeply concerned. “We are trying to improve the dykes to withstand up to 1,100 millimeters of rainfall,” he says. “If it goes beyond that, we’re at risk.”

Adding to the urgency is the record water levels in Lake Victoria, which feeds into the floodwaters surrounding Bentiu. Recent releases of water from Uganda’s Jinja dam due to these unprecedented levels further heighten the threat.

Analysts warn of potentially catastrophic flooding in South Sudan in the coming months, with the worst-case scenarios being compared to the most severe floods in a century.

The refugee camp in Bentiu, already the largest in South Sudan, houses nearly 150,000 internally displaced people who initially fled conflict only to face the added calamity of flooding.

These individuals, many of whom have been living in Bentiu since the catastrophic floods of 2021, are particularly at risk. Their livelihoods, once dependent on farming, have been upended as the region’s fields have been submerged.

Despite the ongoing efforts to reinforce the dykes and protect crucial infrastructure like the airstrip, the looming threat of extreme weather remains.

UN engineers work tirelessly, inspecting and repairing defenses daily, while also ensuring that the airstrip remains operational to facilitate aid and evacuation if necessary.

Yet, as the waters rise and the skies darken, the situation in Bentiu is a powerful reminder of the far-reaching impacts of climate change on already fragile regions.

The town’s future hangs in the balance, and with each storm, Bentiu faces the harrowing reality of whether its defenses will hold or if it will be engulfed by the relentless waters of the climate crisis.