Satellite view of the Sudd region, Sudan   Afrotropics Flooded Grasslands and Savannas   69,400 square miles (179,700 square kilometers) -- about the size of North Dakota Vulnerable

· Water on the Desert's Edge
· Special Features
· Did You Know?
· Wild Side
· Cause for Concern
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Water on the Desert's Edge

During the rainy season, waters flood into the Sudd swamps of southern Sudan, bringing nutrients and new life to the dry, cracked ground. As one of the largest floodplains in Africa, the Sudd provides watering and feeding grounds for large populations of migratory mammals and migratory birds. And because this floodplain is located on the edge of the Sahara Desert, it's a key watering area for many species as they move across the landscape.

Special Features

The source of the Sudd swamps is the White Nile (known also as the Bahr-el-Jebel, Albert Nile, and Victoria Nile), which rises in the headwaters of Lake Victoria. The annual rains fall between April and September, filling swamps as large as 136,900 square miles (355,940 sq km). Since 1961, inflow to the Sudd has been increasing, and so the wetland area is larger than it was in past years. Temperatures average between 86 and 91˚ F (30-33˚ C) in the summer, and drop to about 64˚ F (18˚ C) in the winter.

	Male Nile lechwes--a species of antelope--make only squeaking grunts, while females are extremely vocal, making sounds like the croaking of toads as they travel in herds.

Wild Side

The Sudd includes submerged and floating vegetation, seasonally flooded grassland, rain-fed wetlands, and floodplain woodlands. More than 400 bird species have been identified in the region, including the largest population of shoebills, endangered white pelicans, and black-crowned cranes. Many birds use the Sudd as a stopover point on their long migrations. In addition, the Sudd is home to extraordinary numbers of antelope, including white-eared kobs, tiangs, Mongalla gazelles, and Nile lechwes.

Cause for Concern

Much of the Sudd swamps are a vast, near-wilderness. Dinka, Nuer, and Shiluk tribes live in the region, supporting themselves by herding cattle and fishing. Conservationists do not know what effects the recent civil war has had on this region. Signs indicate that vehicle traffic and poaching have increased due to war-related movements. For example, elephants may have been hunted out of the region. Before the war, major water diversion projects threatened the wetlands and their wildlife.

For more information on this ecoregion, go to the World Wildlife Fund Scientific Report.