A Survey of Climate Change Impacts and Adaptation in South Sudan: Gendered Vulnerabilities, Political Economy, and Livelihoods in Selected States (2021–2026)

This survey research investigates the gendered impacts of climate change on livelihoods and the political economy of adaptation in South Sudan, focusing on Juba, Western Equatoria, Jonglei, and Eastern Equatoria states. It addresses a critical gap in understanding how intersecting vulnerabilities, shaped by gender and the nation’s protracted crisis, influence adaptive capacities, particularly within the energy sector. Employing a rigorous mixed-methods approach, the study analyses data from structured questionnaires administered to 450 households, 60 key informant interviews, and focus group discussions with community leaders, women’s groups, and local authorities. Findings demonstrate that climate-induced disruptions to rain-fed agriculture and natural resource availability have disproportionately burdened women, intensifying their labour and constraining economic agency. The political economy of aid and state fragility has fostered maladaptive, top-down interventions that marginalise local, gendered knowledge. Within the energy domain, heavy reliance on biomass, exacerbated by deforestation and insecurity, deepens energy poverty, further compromising women’s wellbeing and safety during fuel collection. The study concludes that effective adaptation in South Sudan necessitates a transformative approach. This must centre gender equity and deliberately integrate local socio-political realities into climate and energy policy, moving beyond technical solutions to address the structural drivers of vulnerability.