The document presents experiences and recommendations on promoting community-based adaptation (CBA) in Uganda, emphasizing the role of the Environmental Alert organization in addressing climate change impacts through community-led initiatives. It outlines strategies, key lessons learned, emerging issues, and proposed policies aimed at enhancing community resilience and sustainable resource management. The findings aim to inform Uganda's position on CBA ahead of the upcoming 11th CBA conference.

1. Promoting Community-Based Adaptation in
Uganda; experiences, lessons, emerging issues and
recommendations (for policy and practice) based on
Environmental Alert led initiatives.
Prepared and presented By Dr. Joshua Zake (PhD),
Executive Director, Environmental Alert during the CBA Symposium, Hotel Africana, 16th June 2017 to inform
Uganda’s position paper on Community Based Adaptation ahead of the 11th CBA conference scheduled 22nd-
29th June 2017 at Royal Suites in Kampala.
Email: ed@envalert.org or joszake@gmail.com
P. O. Box 11259 Kampala, Uganda, Tel: 0414510215;
Website: http://www.envalert.org

2. Outline of the Presentation
A) Introduction
• About Environmental Alert (EA)
• Actions contributing to release of green house gases resulting in Climate change impacts
• Definition and key principles for CBA
• The motivation for promoting CBA as an approach to contribute to Climate Change Adaptation and Mitigation
B) EA initiatives/interventions promoting Community based adaptation to climate change
(adaptation/mitigation
C) Key lessons for CBA
D) Emerging issues for CBA and proposed recommendations (policy and practice)
E) Conclusions

3. About Environmental Alert
• EA was founded in 1988 and is officially registered NGO with board. Thus, in 2018 – EA will
make 30 years of contribution to food security and sustainable environment and natural
resources management in Uganda.
• EA is a 1st prize winner of the Energy globe award for environmental sustainability-2005
under the category, earth.
• EA is a member of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and a Member
of The IUCN National Committee for Uganda.
• EA in 10 years 2016-2025, envisions, ‘Resilient and dignified communities, managing their
environment and natural resources sustainably.’
• EA’s mission is to, ‘Contribute to improved livelihoods of vulnerable communities by
enhancing agricultural productivity and sustainable natural resources management.’

4. About Environmental Alert ………. Cont’d
Scale of Implementation:
• EA operates in selected districts (in 2016, EA facilitated engagements reached 23
districts – directly and indirectly) for generation of evidence to inform policy
engagements on agriculture, environment and natural resources at National and
International levels.
• EA undertakes area wide (through radio, print media, social media) targeted
awareness (illustrative posters, policy briefs, issues papers) on selected issues in
agriculture, environment and natural resources engagements

5. About Environmental Alert ………. Cont’d
EA represents ENR CSOs on the Environment and Natural Resources sub-Sector Working Group
EA is a Secretariat for following networks:
a) The Network for Civil Society Organizations in Environment & Natural Resources Sector (ENR-CSO
Network) http://enr-cso.org/;
b) Uganda Forestry Working Group http://ufwg.envalert.org/;
c) The Standards Development Group; and
d) Promoting Local Innovation in ecologically oriented agriculture and natural resources
management (PROLINNOVA-Uganda Network) http://www.prolinnova.net/uganda.

6. Actions contributing to release of green house gases
resulting in Climate change impacts
i. Environment and natural resource (land/soil,
wetlands, forest, grassland, water) degradation
ii. Deforestation/forest clearing for charcoal, timber,
poles, urbanization
iii. Uncontrolled bush and forest fires
iv. Inefficient technologies in the energy, production,
construction and transport industrial sectors.
v. Poor land use in the agricultural sector resulting
in encroachment on forest resources
ENR CSO Secretariat C/o Environmental Alert
Illustration by EA, 2005.

7. Eastern Uganda, 2012 Tabu
Iguluibi village, L.
Victoria basin.
Science direct
Teso floods, 2007. Pilgrim
Nakasongola .
Drought in Mubende, 2009. Ben
T.
Teso floods, 2007. Pilgrim
Some of the impacts of climate in Uganda at community level….
Kawempe Division,
Kampala, 2012 EA

8. Definition of CBA
Community based adaptation (CBA)
• CBA is a community-led process, based on communities’ priorities, needs, knowledge and capacities, which should
empower people to plan for and cope with the impacts of climate change’ (Reid, Alam, et al., 2009)
• It’s a partnership between institutions and communities—rather than something done for and imposed upon local
peoples.
• CBA largely aims at supporting the adaptation needs of ‘those most vulnerable:’ vast numbers of poor and
marginalized peoples living in high-risk environments, primarily in developing countries.
ENR CSO Secretariat C/o Environmental Alert

9. Principles of CBA
• The overall aim of CBA is to empower communities to prepare for and respond to climatic stress by facilitating
adaptation that is inclusive, community driven and sustainable.
• The CBA process begins with an assessment of vulnerabilities to climate stress, the factors underlying such
vulnerabilities and related capacities to adapt. The assessment process typically combines technical appraisals by
external actors with participatory self-assessments.
• CBA practitioners then seek to work in partnership with local peoples to strengthen their capacity to prepare for
and respond to the effects of climate variability and change.
• CBA practitioners aim to build upon existing adaptive capacities, which consist of existing local knowledge,
networks, practices, skills, technologies, expertise, norms and institutions—as well as peoples’ intrinsic motivations,
aspirations and goals.
ENR CSO Secretariat C/o Environmental Alert

10. Environmental Alert’s motivation for promoting CBA as an approach
to contribute to Climate Change Adaptation and Mitigation
• Their exists a wealth of knowledge and experiences at community level which should be tapped into to
inform policy formulation and implementation to advance community resilience to climate change impacts.
• CBA provides opportunity for translating Government commitments in multi-lateral agreements at
international level into real actions of ground (at community level) to advance community resilience to
climate change impacts.
• CBA is an empowering process for all stakeholders involved, thus builds their capacities – thereby
contributing to ownership and sustainability of the initiatives.

11. EA’s initiatives for promoting CBA in the last 2-3 years
Initiative/project CBA interventions Area funding Partners involved Dev’t partner
a) Strengthening Community
Resilience to Change:
Combining Local Innovative
Capacity with Scientific
Research
Climate change adaptation &
mitigation farmer Innovations –
documentation, awareness, joint
experimentation, policy dialogue
Nakasongola, Moyo 172,273,000
UGX
Prolinnova-
Uganda Country
platform
members – EA
and Kulika
Uganda
Ford
Foundation
through KIT
b) Community Empowerment
for Improved Food Security and
Income in West Nile
Early maturing varieties, Apiary,
Community knowledge center,
awareness creation, capacity building
for mainstreaming climate change,
policy dialogues
Moyo, Adjumani and
Yumbe
400,000
euros over 3
years
Local
Governments --
Moyo, Adjumani
and Yumbe
Bread for the
World
c) Provision of capacity building
services for LG, NGOs and
private sector towards
strengthening stakeholder
coordination, and mainstream
Climate Change into the S/C
Development Plans
Documentation of adaptation actions
e.g. Early maturing varieties, irrigation
technologies, village savings and
credit schemes, community-based
irrigation systems
6 cattle corridor
districts (Luweero,
Kiboga,
Nakasongola,
Nakaseke,
Mubende)
About
360,000,000
UGX
EA, Kulika-UG,
EMLI, RUCID,
VEDCO, ARUWE
UNFAO

12. EA’s initiatives for promoting CBA in the last 2-3 years
Initiative/project CBA interventions Area funding Partners involved Dev’t partner
d) Policy engagements at
national level through the
annual joint sector review for
ENR sector
Participation in the annual
joint Water and Environment
sector review – ENR-CSOs
annual performance report
and position papers
National level
and sub
regional
engagements
About
400,000,000
UGX
ENR-CSO Network
members
Care International
in Uganda, IUCN,
ENR-CSO Network
members --
ACODE, EA
e) Descent Living – access to
water and sanitation targeting
slum dwellers in Kampala
Construction of drainage
channels, sanitation facilities-
water borne toilets,
promotion of WASH-based
enterprises (charcoal
briquette making, )
Kampala 569,807,295
UGX
KCCA, We Effect,
CIDI/Environment
al Alert,
SSA/USHNET
Water Aid Uganda
f) Kampala Slum transformation
Initiative (KASTI) – access to
water and sanitation targeting
slum dwellers in Kampala
Targeted awareness on access
to safe water and sanitation,
policy dialogue
Kampala 371,000,000
UGX
KCCA, UWASNET Water Aid Uganda

13. Key lessons for CBA
• The CBA actions (adaptation/mitigation) must be issue based derived from climate change impacts vulnerability
assessment
• There must be resources (financial, human…) for implementation of CBA plans. These resources can be generated from
within and outside the community. Thus, some adaptation actions/strategies can be funded through community
initiatives/self help, government development plans or other development partners plans
• Key stakeholders, their roles and responsibilities should be properly understood streamlined for effective
implementation of the CBA plans – tapping into their mandates, strength, competences and capacity -- sustainability of
the initiatives
• For wider impact, CBA should not remain as isolated activities within a community. It must also be scaled-up – which
requires communicating local needs to higher levels of decision making – and scaled-out, which involves turning small-scale
projects into large-scale endeavors and/or expanding local adaptations over a large geographic area.
• The CBA process build the overall capacity of communities regardless of whether or not specific climate change impacts
manifest.
• CBA should be integrated/mainstreamed into broader adaptation and development schemes.
• Mainstreaming allows the needs of the most vulnerable to be reflected in subnational, national and international
adaptation programs, policies, plans and investments.

14. Emerging issues for CBA and proposed recommendations (policy
and practice)
Key emerging issues Proposed recommendations
a) Weak information management system for
document and disseminate lessons, experiences
and emerging issues at all levels
--Stakeholders involved in promoting CBA should consider documenting and
disseminating lessons, experiences and emerging issues at all levels;
--An annual national stakeholders sharing event/s should be organized through
coordination by the Climate Change Department/Ministry of Water and
Environment
b) Inadequate coordination for effecting
reporting and monitoring among stakeholders
during implantation of community based
adaptation/mitigation plans at local and national
levels
--Regular stakeholder sharing meetings should be organized and coordinated by
the Directorate of Natural Resources at Local Government level
--Stakeholders/partners involved in CBA at different levels should plan and
conduct joint monitoring and evaluation
c) Some technologies are costly/expensive, thus
not affordable by smallholder farmers
--Government should subsidize farmers to access such adaptation technologies
--Government should remove taxes charged on adaptation technologies
--Government should provide soft loans for farmers to invest in adaptation
technologies
--Government should prioritize investments in large scale adaption technologies
or infrastructure e.g. valley dams, bridges

15. Emerging issues for CBA and proposed recommendations (for policy
and practice)
Key emerging issues Proposed recommendations
d) Farmers and directly natural resource
dependent communities have developed climate
change adaptation and mitigation innovations
within their own reach
--Existing government programs should support (access to finance, linkages
with research for joint experimentation and validation) farmers to advance
their innovations as a contribution towards climate change adaptation
e) Inadequate capacity (technical knowledge and
skill, limited funding …) among technical and
political leaders for mainstreaming CBA in
development planning process at the sub county
and district level
--The Climate Change Department, International/National Non-Governmental
Organizations should advance targeted capacity building for mainstreaming CBA
into development planning at sub county and district level targeting stakeholders
(i.e. technical and political leaders, Non-Governmental Organizations, Community
Based Organizations, Farmers Organizations, Private sector

16. E) Conclusions
• CBA has a great potential and opportunities to contribute to community resilience to climate change impacts and
make tangible results and benefits in terms of food security, sustainable natural resource management,
reproductive health and disaster risk reduction.
• The results and achievement so far should be up-scaled and out-scaled based on the experiences and lessons
learnt.
• The key emerging issues from application of the CBA approach should be addressed through ongoing policy and
programs implementation for effective climate change adaptation and disaster risk reduction responses and
different levels and scales.

17. F) Acknowledgements
• The Environmental Alert staff involved in the implementation of these initiatives on a daily and regular basis are
appreciated for the efforts.
• All Environmental Alert partners involved in the implementation of the interventions in the respective sites. They
appreciated for the technical and financial inputs.
• All Environmental Alert development partners (including: Bread for the World, UNFAO, Water Aid Uganda, KIT, Ford
Foundation, Care Uganda International in Uganda, IUCN-Uganda Country, WWF-UCO ) are very much appreciated
for the financial support and technical backstopping that enabled Environmental Alert to deliver on the results and
outcomes as a result of promoting CBA in the different parts of the country.
• The Government line Ministries (i.e. Ministry of Water and Environment, Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industries
and fisheries) Local Government Leadership and Agencies (Forestry Sector Support Department, National
Environment Management Authority Climate Change Department, National Forestry Authority, Kampala City Council
Authority) are appreciated for the value adding partnerships and collaboration.
• The local community stakeholders that put into action the CBA practices and technologies as first line implementers
and direct beneficiaries
• The media (print and radio) for the supporting area wide awareness of the results (key lessons learnt and
experiences) from the CBA implemented interventions.

18. References for further reading
18
 Kirkby, P., Casey, W., & Huq, S. 2015. A brief overview of community based Adaptation.
http://www.icccad.net/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/A-brief-overview-of-Community-Based-Adaptation.pdf
 Ayers, J. & Forsyth, T. 2009. Community-Based Adaptation To Climate Change: Strengthening Resilience
through Development. Environment, 51, 22-31.
 Ayers, J. & Huq, S. 2013. Adaptation, development and the community. In: Palutikof, J., Boulter, S.L., Ash,
A.J., Smith, M.S., Parry, M., Waschka, M. & Guitart, D. (eds.) Climate Adaptation Futures. First Edition, John
Wiley & Sons, Ltd., p. 203-214.
 Ayers, J., Schipper, L., Reid, H., Huq, S. & Rahman, A. 2014. Community-Based Adaptation to Climate
Change: Scaling it up, London, Routledge.
 Dodman, D. & Mitlin, D. 2013. Challenges For Community-Based Adaptation: Discovering The Potential For
Transformation. Journal of International Development, 25, 640-659.

19. References for further reading
19
 Ensor, J. & Berger, R. 2009. Understanding Climate Change Adaptation: lessons from community-
based approaches, Practical Action Publishing, Rugby, UK.
 Ensor, J., Berger, R. & Huq, S. 2014. Community-based Adaptation to Climate Change: Emerging
Lessons, Practical Action Publishing, Rugby, UK.
 Forsyth, T. 2013. Community-based adaptation: a review of past and future challenges. Wiley
Interdisciplinary Reviews-Climate Change, 4, 439-446.
 Magee, T. 2013. A Field Guide to Community Based Adaptation, London, Routledge.
 Reid, H., Alam, M., Berger, R., Cannon, T., Huq, S. & Milligan, A. (eds) 2009. Community-Based
Adaptation to Climate Change, Participatory Learning and Action 60. London, IIED.

20. Thank you for listening!!
Mwebale nnyo!!
Asante sana!!