Residents of the Mquark community in South Sudan are engaged in a daily effort to manually rebuild river defenses against flooding.
Each day, they use clay and papyrus to reinforce banks along a channel of the River Nile. Community members state the hand-built barriers are vulnerable because the soil is not compacted, allowing water to seep through. Maintenance involves repeatedly adding and compacting new soil.
The traditional method involves spreading grass, cutting and leveling papyrus on top, and then adding soil to make the ground higher and stronger.
This ongoing labor is a response to increased flooding linked to climate change. South Sudan is ranked by the United Nations as the seventh most vulnerable country globally to climate change. UN agencies report over 375,000 people have been displaced by flooding in the nation this year alone.
Local authorities estimate 2,000 Dinka people are persevering on the islands. Residents say they perform this work annually because they live in lowlands and must protect themselves from rising Nile waters and rainwater to avoid being displaced.
Fishing remains central to the community, providing food for families and livestock.
