JUBA, May 15 (Xinhua) -- South Sudan on Wednesday launched a five-year United Nations-backed project to build the resilience of vulnerable communities to the effects of climate change while restoring ecosystems.

The Watershed Approaches for Climate Resilience in Agro-pastoral Landscapes (WACRESS) is a 33-million-U.S.-dollar climate resilience project that aims to benefit more than 75,000 people and restore over 15,000 hectares of land.

Minister of Environment and Forestry Josephine Napwon Cosmas said climate change is currently a major threat to the world, and South Sudan is among the countries in the region most affected.

"The country is currently experiencing severe heatwaves, droughts, and unpredictable rain patterns. To address these impacts, the ministry has developed climate change strategies and projects to mitigate and adapt to these impacts," Napwon said in the South Sudanese capital of Juba.

She said the project, which will run from March 2024 to December 2028, will be implemented in Aweil Center and Aweil East counties of Northern Bahr el Ghazal State.

Titus Osundina, deputy resident representative of the UN Development Program (UNDP) in South Sudan, said the project aims to restore ecosystems and build long-term climate resilience among agro-pastoral communities using participatory watershed-based approaches.

Osundina said the UNDP will also re-establish and strengthen market linkages and agricultural value chains while equipping extension agencies to help communities adopt gender-responsive, climate-smart agricultural practices and diversify livelihoods through practical, farmer-field-based approaches and climate change adaptation strategies.

South Sudan is one of the countries rapidly affected by climate change. Over the past four years, persistent flooding in many parts of the country has affected the livelihoods of millions of people, and some areas have experienced drought.