In brief
Seasonal flooding in South Sudan’s Northern Bahr el Ghazal has long threatened sorghum crops, but in Aweil a community of more than 2,100 households is now turning floodwater into a productive rice harvest. With support from the World Food Programme and Chinese partners, the initiative covers about 1,000 hectares, though challenges such as weeding, harvesting, and limited machinery still limit its expansion.
In Aweil, the capital of Northern Bahr el Ghazal, farmers have begun turning the floodwaters that once devastated their sorghum fields into a source of food by cultivating rice on over 1,000 hectares of land that now houses more than 2,100 households.
For years, seasonal floods have flood the lowlands of Aweil, ruining the cereals that many families depend upon. The new shift to rice is seen by locals as a practical alternative to crops that are ill‑suited to waterlogged soils.
Group Farming and WFP Support
“We have tried to consider the flood as a potential opportunity, not as a threat,” said Haileselassie Berhanu, head of program at the World Food Programme (WFP) Aweil Field Office. In recent years, the WFP and local partners have begun exploring rice cultivation in these waterlogged areas, offering training and equipment to residents.
We have tried to consider the flood as a potential opportunity, not as a threat.
Through group farming, individual households that previously cultivated limited plots have pooled resources, expanded their cultivated land, and received targeted instruction in rice‑growing techniques by a local partner. The program’s community‑based approach enables more efficient use of the available water and shared labor.
Since this strategy began several years ago, the number of households participating has grown sharply. Akech reported that in 2025 his own plot of 1.68 hectares yielded 42 bags of rice, each weighing 90 kilograms – a remarkable output for a field that had been at risk of being submerged each year.
“When flooding came, it affected sorghum, but the rice succeeded,” said Santino Akech, a 45‑year‑old farmer in Aweil. For him, rice had become both a safeguard against flood loss and a reliable food source for his family.
When flooding came, it affected sorghum, but the rice succeeded.
Challenges Ahead
Despite the promising results, farmers face several hurdles that could temper the initiative’s future growth. Weeding and harvesting remain major challenges, as rice cultivation is a relatively new practice for many community members and the labor demands are high.
There is also a pressing need for machinery that can prepare waterlogged land, and further training in improved cultivation methods. Experts say that the availability of rice varieties best suited to the local climatic and soil conditions is equally critical to the long‑term viability of the project.
“In a recent field trip to Aweil, Mutinta Chimuka, WFP country representative for South Sudan, said helping communities produce their own food was an important part of the agency’s work to improve food security, alongside the distribution of food assistance,” noted a WFP spokesperson. Chimuka described the crop she observed as promising, remarking that the location had retained water despite a dry spell that had affected agricultural production elsewhere. She noted that the crop was flowering and expected to be ready for harvesting soon.
Helping communities produce their own food was an important part of the agency’s work to improve food security, alongside the distribution of food assistance.
She urged closer cooperation with state and national authorities to identify the most suitable locations for rice cultivation and varieties suited to local conditions. The WFP’s strategy includes expanding training, supplementing equipment, and improving coordination among stakeholders.
Chinese partners have also played a role, providing training and equipment as part of their assistance to the region. While the details of the partnership remain limited in the public report, it underscores the international dimension of the initiative.
According to WFP estimates, the rice programme now covers around 1,000 hectares across the Aweil region, a substantial increase from the early pilot projects wherein individual farmers had a much smaller footprint. The number of households engaged, however, stands at a little over 2,100, indicating that while more people are benefiting, there is still room for expansion if the challenges surrounding labor, equipment, and crop selection are addressed.
The initiative suits an urgent need for resilience in a climate‑changing environment. Seasonal flooding remains a constant threat and has previously strained local food supplies. By harnessing the floodwater rather than fighting it, Aweil’s farmers are experimenting with a model that could lead to greater food security for the region.
Still, the long‑term success of rice cultivation will depend on sustained support from programs like the WFP and from local governments, as well as on continued adaptation to the unique hydrological and soil conditions of the Northern Bahr el Ghazal area. The experience in Aweil may serve as a case study for other communities in South Sudan and beyond that face similar challenges from seasonal floods.
For now, the rice harvests stand as a tangible sign that communities can transform a natural disaster into a productive opportunity, providing both nutrition and a new livelihood possibility for thousands of households across Aweil.
