Strengthening drought resilience in Uganda

In December 2017, GFA has completed a feasibility study on possibilities of strengthening drought resilience in the predominantly pastoralist Karamoja region in Uganda for the German Development Bank (KfW) and the Office of the Prime Minister (OPM). Increasingly irregular rainfall and longer periods of drought in North-Eastern Uganda severely affect the pastoralist population living in Karamoja. After decades of civil war and marginalization, the Karimojong people are gradually rebuilding their livelihoods, trying to find a way out of poverty and food insecurity. As a nomadic society, they are used to following the rain in search of water and pasture. Climate change and resulting water scarcity, however, puts more and more pressure on their lifestyle and coping mechanisms.

GFA, in consortium with WE Consult and Gauff, has led a study team of twelve experts examining water availability and potentials, the livestock and agricultural sectors as well as road infrastructure in the region as to identify potential investments that enhance the resilience of the Karimojong towards droughts. The project is part of a wider framework to strengthen the regional Karamoja cluster. In addition to Karamoja, this includes cross-border areas in South Sudan, northern Kenya and southern Ethiopia. The people in that cluster have similar traditions and livelihoods in common in an increasingly harsh environment affected by climate change. In 2015, GFA implemented a similar study across the border in Kenya, which contributed to the implementation of the current study by building on the established knowledge base and streamlining proposed interventions.

>> Enjoy some more pictures about the region in our short slideshow

Photos: Benjamin Straube