Our projects> Climate resilience and diversification of livelihoods in Northern Uganda

Climate resilience and diversification of livelihoods in Northern Uganda

Closed

Combination

Agriculture/fishery

Call 6

Uganda

Time consumed

Start: 02-Mar-17 End: 29-Feb-20

Lead Nordic partner

Strømmestiftelsen/Strømme Foundation

Country of Lead Nordic partner

Denmark

Local partner(s)

Arid Land Development Programme (ADP)

Other partner(s)

Stichting Woord en Daad

NCF grant size

500,000

Total project cost

699,495

Technologies

Improved cookstoves

Methods

Agroforestry, Financial instruments, Training

Country of implementation:

Uganda

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Description

This project is a response to the increased vulnerability of rural population to drought and erosion in the dry north-east of Uganda. Drought and erosion affects their food and energy security, as well as incomes.

The project promotes an integrated, diversified and sustainable rural production model in 3 districts in the semi-arid Karamoja region in north-eastern Uganda. The main goal is to reduce the vulnerability of... This project is a response to the increased vulnerability of rural population to drought and erosion in the dry north-east of Uganda. Drought and erosion affects their food and energy security, as well as incomes.

The project promotes an integrated, diversified and sustainable rural production model in 3 districts in the semi-arid Karamoja region in north-eastern Uganda. The main goal is to reduce the vulnerability of man and nature to the increasingly extreme climate patterns.

Honey production plays a central role in this development model: Its increasing market demand and production potential in the region can significantly improve rural household incomes within a short time span. To be productive, bees need abundant access to nectar sources. This provides an incentive for farmers to protect, regenerate and plant trees.

The protection is in the short run driven by a participatory process that leads to 8 Community Action Plans in which 8 clusters of villages agree to protect and regenerate trees in their area. The communities are trained in Farmer-Managed Natural Regeneration (FMNR) practices that allow for a fast recovery of trees that are cut but whose root system is still intact. A short-cycle, drought resistant sorghum variety will be introduced, in combination with training in integrated agroforestry practices, such as intercropping with trees and (leguminous) soil cover.

The project also actively supports the planting of multi-purpose trees. Fruit trees (especially mango and cashew) will provide a growing source of nectar and generate income through the sale of fruits and nuts. Other trees are planted for the purpose of firewood, food, fodder, fencing, nectar, shade, soil protection and/or nitrogen fixing.

In order to help households cope with the reduced availability of firewood in the short run, fuel-efficient stoves will be introduced and local artisans will be trained in their fabrication.

For the 1500 households targeted, the intervention contributes to sustainable food production systems that are more climate-resilient and improve livelihoods.

Savings Groups play an important role, both in the start-up phase (to kick-start community-based organisation processes) and for the sustainability and replication of the concepts promoted in the project (through its savings and loans function).

The north-east of Uganda is classified as semi-arid land. Due to increasing population pressure and government policies, the population has become more sedentary. This improves the access to basic services (such as education and health care), but also makes the population more vulnerable to weather extremes. In addition, due to climate change the weather has become more extreme in the past decades, with longer drought periods, less reliable and more intense rainfall patterns. This in turn reduces crop production and access to pasture for livestock, affecting negatively the livelihoods of the population. A common strategy to cope with the reduced incomes is producing and selling charcoal. Progressive tree cutting results in serious erosion, further aggravating the problem of decreasing pastures and food production.

The project tries to break this vicious circle of poverty and environmental degradation by introducing economic activities that benefit from the presence of trees (beekeeping, conservation agriculture, fruit production), together with technologies that allow for a rapid expansion of the area covered by trees in the region (wood saving stoves, farmer-assisted natural regeneration of tree stumps, tree nurseries).

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Objective

1. Increased access to financial services for 1500 households through Savings Groups (SG). The SGs play an important role in ensuring that the results of the project remain and will expand after project end.
2. Increased production of honey (300 farmers) and white sorghum (1200 farmers). It is expected that each beekeeper harvests 60 kg of honey per year, while sorghum farmers increase their production on...

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Results

* 85.1% reported that their income had increased due to involvement in the project
* Average saving per SG member was 69 EUR
* 85.5% of the households have diversified their income sources to 2-6 sources
* 99.6% increased their stock in savings, 17.6% increased their food stock and 5.2% increased their stock in livestock
* Average honey production per farmer per year was for 17.31kg per season (approximately...

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Sustainable Development Goals

Relevant links

Arid Land Development Programme (ADP), Stichting Woord en Daad

Climate resilience and diversification of livelihoods in Northern Uganda

Time consumed

Lead Nordic partner

Country of Lead Nordic partner

Local partner(s)

Other partner(s)

NCF grant size

Total project cost

Technologies

Methods

Country of implementation:

Description

Objective

Results

Sustainable Development Goals

Relevant links

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