Building Resilient Communities, Wetland Ecosystems and Associated Catchments in Uganda

Project Document

Enhancing Ugandan subsistence farmers’ ability to deal with climate impacts. An estimated 4 million people who live in and around Uganda’s wetlands rely on them for food security. The impact of climate change, coupled with other environmental stresses, is increasing the degradation of wetlands and associated ecosystems.

This grant-based project will assist the Government of Uganda take climate change effects into account in managing wetlands. Climate effects include increased climate variability and extreme weather events, such as droughts, floods, high temperatures and violent storms.

This project will help Uganda

• Restore critical wetlands to improve ecosystem services - such as replenishing ground water, improving flood control, and enhancing the livelihoods of subsistence farming communities through fishing and agriculture;
• Enhancing the skills of people to diversify their livelihoods and become more resilient to climate shocks; and
• Improve the ability of communities in sensitive wetland areas to reduce climate risks and prepare them for climate-related disasters (including through decentralized early warning systems).

This project will target south-western and eastern regions in Uganda, home to some of this Least Developed Country’s most vulnerable people - more than half of them women. While this climate initiative is based on grant financing, positive spillover effects are envisaged in the private sector as new revenue opportunities open up for people in rural areas.

The project has an estimated lifespan of 8 years.