Project Overview

The refugee response in West Nile region is characterized by rapid population influx, overburdened services, scarcity of resources and lack of alternative energy sources. Natural resource use by the refugee community has exacerbated existing issues around natural resources management. This is compounded by the fact that refugee settlements typically experience a population density, ten times the national average.

Between 2014 and 2018, the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations reported that 14% of woody biomass had been lost within 5 km of the refugee settlement boundaries, and an additional loss and degradation in an extended 15 km buffer. In Uganda more widely, forest cover has decreased from 24% in 1994 to 9% in 2019. The demand for, and overuse of natural resources, particularly wood, is driven by their use as construction materials and cooking fuel, and the utilization of land traditionally for forestry as agricultural land. Over 93% of the refugee and host community households are reliant on wood for cooking fuel.

Women and girls are disproportionately burdened with domestic chores, including collection of firewood, farming and cooking, which often put them at risk of further human rights violations. Therefore, this project has a strong gender focus while addressing environmental degradation and related challenges in the refugee landscape in West Nile region of Uganda.

This four-year project will address supply and demand side factors, rapidly scaling up access to ensure that refugee and host community populations directly have access to alternative sources of cooking fuel, environmentally sensitive livelihood opportunities, including sustainable savings options, decreasing the demand and utilization of natural resources within and around refugee settlements.

The target districts include Arua (Madi-Okollo, and Terego), Yumbe, Adjumani and Kiryandongo. These districts host about 701,821 refugees, primarily from South Sudan.

The Project goal

To contribute to increasing environmental protection, forest restoration and improve sustainable energy and alternative livelihoods by displaced populations and their host communities in the Districts of Adjumani, Arua, Kiryandongo and Yumbe.

Expected Outcomes

• Improved access to sufficient, healthier, sustainable and alternative sources of energy, increased capacity to construct and maintain these, decreased dependence on energy from unsustainable and unregulated sources for households and causes of conflicts between refugees and host communities are addressed
• Energy, environment and climate action programming, coordination and capacity is strengthened at local, district government and sub-county levels.

Target beneficiaries

Direct target beneficiaries are 234,800 refugee and host population including:

• 3,000 (1,400 male; 1,600 female) adolescents, youth and women to access green income generating activities.
• 44,000 households (60%) female-headed including young mothers and persons with disabilities; 231,000 people will be identified to receive appropriate energy efficient technologies.
• 100 Local Government (LG) employees, 100 personnel from local environment and energy civil society organizations (CSOs) and 30 private sector companies, thereby strengthening joint action aimed at addressing the knowledge on availability of technologies

Another 2,128,500 refugee and host population anticipated as indirect beneficiaries in the selected districts that include local government, the national government, water catchment management zones, children and youth in schools and trading centers.