Background

The East Africa Sub-region hosts 3.2 million refugees from various countries and nearly 5.76 million internally displaced persons who rely on humanitarian aid and surrounding natural resources for survival. As refugee settlements are located mostly in fragile dry landscapes with poor soils, the increasing population pressure accelerates loss of vegetative cover, soil erosion and land degradation, hindering small-scale agricultural production.

Moreover, competition over resources such as firewood, fertile land and water is becoming a common source of social tension between refugees and their surrounding host communities. Particularly, women and children, who make up a large proportion of the refugee population, suffer more when supplies of food and biomass energy become constrained.

The project therefore aims to pilot and increase in scale adaptable and gender-responsive circular economy-based solutions to capture energy, water and nutrients, thus building resilient local food and energy systems for refugee and host communities in Uganda (Rhino and Imvepi), Kenya (Kalobeyei and Kakuma) and Ethiopia (Kule).

Overall objective

To pilot and scale adaptable and gender-responsive circular economy-based Resource Recovery and Reuse solutions for increased food and energy security contributing to socio-ecologically sustainable ecosystems among refugee and host communities in Uganda, Kenya and Ethiopia.

Key activities and expected outputs

Work package 1: Local authorities supported in the implementation and scaling of innovative and gender-responsive fuel and farming options in refugee and host communities.

Work package 2: Local trainers, refugees and neighbouring host community members trained in waste-based options for a) safe production and marketing of dry fuel briquettes; and b) low-space farming and agroforestry innovations for subsistence needs and/or cash crop production. 3600 people from refugee and host communities trained.

Work package 3: Household and community-based pilots established and analysed for their viability and scaling potential.

Work package 4: Tested and verified solutions integrated in the programs and activities of project upscaling partners, aid and donor agencies. 200,000 inhabitants of refugee and host settlements sensitized on interventions.

Expected outcomes

• Increased gender-responsive energy and food security among refugee and host communities.
• Sustainable socio-ecological systems in refugee context.
• Scaling of circular bioeconomy solutions in refugee context by national, regional and international NGOs, UN partners, humanitarian agencies and donors as well as local governments.

More information