New Reservoir Brings Water and Hope to South Sudan Communities

Water scarcity has placed severe pressure on people living in the area, especially during dry periods when cattle keepers must travel farther to find water and grazing land.

A newly completed artificial lake in Terekeka, South Sudan, is giving farmers and cattle keepers more than a dependable source of water; it is creating a shared space where communities divided by years of competition and violence may begin rebuilding trust. The roughly 3,200-square-metre reservoir was developed through a quick impact project supported by the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS), whose work includes protecting civilians and helping communities address local conditions that can fuel unrest.

Water scarcity has placed severe pressure on people living in the area, especially during dry periods when cattle keepers must travel farther to find water and grazing land. Their livestock can enter cultivated fields during these movements, damaging crops and triggering disputes with farmers whose harvests support their families. The reservoir was designed to ease that pressure by giving farmers water for crops and providing herders with a place to water their animals away from farmland.

Carefully Chosen Location Could Reduce Competition Over Water

Project planners selected a site far enough from farms to discourage cattle from entering cultivated land, yet close enough for farming communities to use the reservoir. This placement could help both groups protect their livelihoods without being pushed into repeated confrontation over the same scarce resources.

"The project is particularly close to our hearts as it directly addresses both humanitarian challenges and conflict triggers, and the impact is already visible," UNMISS Civil Affairs Officer Lawson Assagaya said during a ceremony marking the reservoir's handover to the community.

New cattle camps have started forming around the water source, and families displaced by earlier conflict are showing interest in returning home. Members of the Wonduruba Mundari community are among those beginning to see Rego as a place where farming, livestock keeping and family life might once again exist side by side.

Farmers and Herders Built the Path Together

The reservoir began creating connections before construction was complete. Workers arriving with heavy machinery discovered that no suitable road led to the site, making it impossible to begin excavation. Farmers and herders from nearby communities responded by bringing their own tools and working together to clear and build a pathway.

Point Investment Company project manager Juman Emmanuel said the enthusiasm across the Rego payam community made the construction process particularly memorable. People understood that the new water source could support crops, cattle and household stability, giving them a practical reason to cooperate despite earlier tensions.

Cattle keeper John Kenyi, a father of three expecting his fourth child, sees livestock as an investment in his family's future rather than simply a sign of status. He hopes income from his cattle will help pay for his children's education, an approach he learned from neighbouring farmers. For him, the reservoir offers a chance to restore unity among people who share the same county and depend on the same landscape.

Underground Water Gives the Reservoir a Sustainable Future

Construction received an unexpected natural boost when workers discovered an underground water source that began filling the reservoir. Plans for a cement lining were abandoned because cement could have contaminated the clean groundwater, leaving the reservoir able to refill naturally when rainfall becomes limited during the dry season.

The entire project was completed in one month, giving local families a sustainable resource with benefits that already reach beyond water access. Its lasting effect on cattle-related violence will become clearer over time, yet the cooperation seen during construction and the return of displaced residents offer early signs of progress.

In a place where scarcity repeatedly pushed neighbours into conflict, the reservoir has given farmers and herders something valuable to protect together. That shared responsibility may help Rego become safer, more productive and welcoming to families seeking a place they can confidently call home.