Rising refugee numbers in Uganda has contributed to land and vegetation degradation, loss of livelihoods and health challenges, which exacerbate climate change impacts. In this project, refugee and host communities adopt a research-to-action approach to design, pilot and promote solutions for biodiversity conservation, enhanced food security, inclusivity, and improved livelihoods.
A refugee influx increases pressure on fragile environments
Uganda currently hosts more than 1.8 million refugees, mostly in North-Western and South-Western Uganda. The arrival of large numbers of people in marginal land has increased environmental degradation and biodiversity losses, lowering crop productivity and increasing vulnerability to climate change.
Both host and refugee communities use wood and charcoal for fuel for cooking, and for shelter. This is causing widespread deforestation and biodiversity loss and increasing vulnerability to desertification and associated climate change impacts. At the same time, vulnerable groups such as refugee women and children are exposed to malnutrition because of a lack of nutrient-rich foods.
Previous initiatives to restore land, introduce agroforestry and address climate change have had poor uptake.
Restoring degraded lands and promoting sustainable livelihoods
The multi-stakeholder project supports restoration of degraded environments and improved climate resilience in refugee and host communities in Uganda.
The project uses a research-to-action approach to co-design, pilot and promote measures to restore degraded land, make sustainable use of biodiversity, improve livelihoods and build the capacity of individuals and institutions in climate change adaptation and resilience.
Project stakeholders are co-designing and testing soil regeneration practices focused on coffee agroforestry systems with improved climate-resilient crop and shade tree species, integrated with bee-keeping, woodlot establishment for sustainable source of wood and related ecosystem services and the use of alternative clean energy fuel sources. The project also addresses land conflicts between refugees and host communities by promoting sustainable use of small acreage allocated to refugees and minimising expansion into host community areas.
The project is co-designing, piloting and promoting soil regeneration practices to improve crop productivity and nutritional value. Nutrition- and climate-sensitive agriculture, including growing improved and nutrient-rich foods, is a sustainable intervention to reduce undernourishment and food insecurity in refugee settlements.
The project will support improved, sustainable and diversified livelihoods among refugees and host communities, while enhancing climate resilience and restoring degraded environments.
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Dr. Diana Kirungi (d.kirungi@cgiar.org)