Episcopal Church of South Sudan prioritises waste management in environmental campaign

Posted on: October 13, 2026 11:26 AM

Members of the Episcopal Church of South Sudan lead a community clean-up, focused on reducing plastic pollution to protect and restore their land.

Related Categories: Episcopal Church of South Sudan Environmental Network, Fifth Mark of Mission, Lungs of the Earth, The Episcopal Church of South Sudan

All over the Anglican Communion, churches, communities and individuals are acting and advocating to restore and protect the lungs of the Earth. Creation care is a core pillar of the Anglican tradition, reflected in the Fifth Mark of Mission, which urges Anglicans to ‘safeguard the integrity of creation, and sustain and renew the life of the earth’.

The Episcopal Church of South Sudan is implementing this vital charge in the form of intentional tree planting, water source care and waste management in churches and beyond. Kenyi Emmanuel Dube, a team leader for the Episcopal Church of South Sudan Environmental Network (ECSSEN), shared with Anglican News the changes that are being implemented in parishes around the region.

‘Through ECSSEN, we mobilise Christians to become better stewards of God’s creation and actively promote the Green Anglican Movement in South Sudan. This year, in collaboration with the Catholic Church, we jointly launched the Season of Creation, during which we engaged in prayer and practical actions such as cleaning water sources, as part of our commitment to caring for creation.’

He reports that in Juba at least twelve churches have engaged in a programme to improve waste management. ‘At the moment, our work on waste management is not limited to a single church. Rather, it is part of a growing movement across two dioceses and multiple parishes. Through ECSSEN, we have established and strengthened what we call Green Anglican Hubs, parish-based environmental action groups within individual parishes.

‘Within these two dioceses, we covered more than 19 parishes, and we have supported churches to initiate basic waste management systems, including waste segregation, provision of waste bins, and awareness creation within congregations. While this work is currently concentrated in these areas, our vision is to scale this initiative nationwide so that every parish becomes a model of environmental stewardship.’

Kenyi shared that the network has also noted encouraging results from the initiatives beyond the church. ‘In some communities, households have come together to develop shared waste management systems, where neighbours collectively manage waste to keep their environment clean. These community-driven efforts have been directly inspired by the work initiated within the church.

‘Waste management is critically important, especially in our context. Poor waste disposal is closely linked to the spread of diseases. In many cases, waste carried through drainage systems ends up polluting the River Nile, which is a primary water source for the city of Juba. Plastic waste often clogs drainage channels, contributing to flooding that has destroyed homes and disrupted livelihoods.

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Waste management systems have been implemented in several churches across the city of Juba in South Sudan.

‘Water is life, and protecting it is essential for both our communities and future generations. As Christians, we believe that the earth is God’s creation. As stated in Psalm 24:1, “The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it.” In Genesis 2:15, humanity is given the responsibility to “till and keep” the garden. This is a clear call to stewardship, not exploitation. When we pollute our environment and mismanage waste, we fall short of this responsibility entrusted to us by God.

‘Caring for creation is therefore not optional but it is a core part of our calling… For us at ECSSEN, waste management and environmental conservation are not just technical concerns; they are spiritual, social and environmental responsibilities.’

Kenyi encourages Anglicans to start with small things and work with others to increase impact. He told Anglican News, ‘Together we can be able to conserve our environment and we can be able to reclaim what has already been destroyed.’