In brief
In Juba, South Sudan, teenage climate advocates presented demands for concrete resilience measures on Oct. 30, 2026. They urged national authorities and international partners to move beyond rhetoric to invest in schools, early‑warning systems and emergency aid. The speakers highlighted the daily struggles of students who must wade through floods just to reach class.
Teenage climate activists in Juba, the capital of South Sudan, on Oct. 30, 2026, demanded that national authorities move beyond pledges and adopt concrete measures to protect vulnerable communities, according to Xinhua.
Voices from Juba
The event, organized by Save the Children and the country’s Ministry of Environment and Forestry, saw students gather to press for climate‑resilient infrastructure and immediate relief for flood‑affected families. The setting, a temporary conference hall in Juba, highlighted the urgent climate pressures affecting education, food security and public health across the country.
Siama Santino, a 17‑year‑old student, shared her daily commute: "Every morning when you wake up, you have to think of how much you are going to move in water or first remove your shoes to reach school," she told Xinhua. The interview underlines how flooding forces students to wade through deep water just to attend class.
"Every morning when you wake up, you have to think of how much you are going to move in water or first remove your shoes to reach school,"
Santino emphasized that adaptation must empower families with clear climate risk information. She called for expanded climate education, emergency preparedness training and targeted humanitarian aid for households displaced by flooding and other climate disasters.
Amoko Ronny, 18, a student and children’s council representative, highlighted how climate shocks worsen poverty. He noted that extreme heat forced local children out of classrooms for two weeks in 2024, while recurring floods destroyed crops, compounding severe food shortages and leaving many families unable to afford basic meals.
"Children must be the top priority," Ronny said, calling for greater investment in climate education, resilient school infrastructure and early warning systems to help children and communities get prepared for disasters. He also urged the government and civil society organisations to invest in sustainable agriculture and promote clean energy, emphasising the need for practical alternatives to reduce reliance on charcoal and curb environmental degradation.
The students demanded that national adaptation plans embed climate resilience, especially within the education sector. They urged governments and donors to fund practical projects, citing the need for climate‑resilient school infrastructure and upgraded early‑warning systems.
South Sudan is preparing for the 31st session of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP31), which will be held in Antalya, Turkey, from Nov. 9 to 20. The young activists stressed that the world’s leaders must prioritize immediate action rather than merely making lofty pledges.
As the global community rallies around COP31, the voices from Juba remind policymakers that the stakes are human: children’s education, families’ food security and the survival of entire communities hinge on the concrete measures they demand. The call to action remains clear: turn pledges into tangible projects that safeguard those most affected by climate change.
