This presentation highlights key challenges faced by Civil Society in Uganda regarding advancement of community climate change adaptation in Uganda.

1. Key challenges for civil society in advancing
climate change adaptation in Uganda
By Joshua Zake, Senior Program Officer Environment and
Natural Resources, Environmental Alert
P.O. Box 11259 Kampala, Uganda, Tel:
0412510215; Mob: +256712862050; Email:
jzake@envalert.org or joszake@gmail.com ;
Website: http://www.envalert.org
Presented at the seminar organised as part of the international course on
Climate Change Adaptation in Agriculture and Natural Resource
Management. Facilitated by Makerere University in partnership with
Wageningen University & research centre, the Netherlands, 9th March 2011

2. What is the CSO in Uganda
• Non-for profit
• Non-governmental
• Based on principals of voluntarism
• Includes non governmental organizations,
community based organizations, faith based
organizations
• Legally registered at local level by District community
development department and national level by the
National NGO board

3. What is the CSO in Uganda
• With respect to CSOs working on issues of
environment, natural resources, climate change –
according to the mapping study by Environmental
Alert in 2009, there are Over 100 CSOs have been
identified with a geographical coverage of up to 79
districts

4. What is the CSO in Uganda
Sub-sector Number of
CSOs
Regional Coverage Financial Contribution
estimate
Forestry 60 Central, West Nile, Western, South
Western, Eastern and Greater North
Weather and
Climate change
5 South Western,
Wetlands 6 South Western, Central
Environment
(including
governance)
35 Central, West Nile, Western, South
Western and Eastern

5. What is the Contribution of CSO in Uganda
with respect to advancing climate change
adaptation ?
• Awareness creation climate change impacts and
potential adaptation actions through posters 1,
2, 3; news paper supplements 1, 2; radio spots;
issues papers, fliers, interactive radio programs
• Piloting climate change adaptation actions at
community level for instance Environmental
Alert in Central Uganda and the West Nile basin
region; DENIVA in Eastern Uganda

6. What is the Contribution of CSO in Uganda
with respect to advancing climate change
adaptation ?
• Policy dialogue, lobbying and advocacy
At International level through Climate Change Action
Network Uganda (CAN-U) has engaged in climate change
negotiations. CAN-U is a loose coalition of non-
governmental organizations advocating for Climate
adaptation justice in Uganda. Its Secretariat is hosted by
Oxfam Great Britain in Kampala, Uganda.
CAN-U mobilizes non-governmental organizations for a
common position on climate change issues to influence
global negotiations and decisions on climate change
during the COP meetings.

7. What is the Contribution of CSO in Uganda
with respect to advancing climate change
adaptation ?
• Policy dialogue, lobbying and advocacy
At national level through Climate Change Action Network
Uganda
At the national level through initiatives by various CSOs
(EA, IUCN, Tree Talk, UCSD and others) for productive
participation in the annual joint environment and natural
resources sector review – refer to CSO position in this
respect
EA has facilitated dialogues on particular themes at
different levels (local and national) e.g. Mainstreaming
climate change in Agriculture and Natural Resources
Management

8. What is the Contribution of CSO in Uganda
with respect to advancing climate change
adaptation ?
• Capacity building and training targeting others CSOs
and networks. For instance Environmental Alert has
facilitated training on climate change adaptation in
agriculture and natural resources management
among the following CSOs/networks: Trocaire
partners; Uganda Forestry Working Group members;
Uganda Land Alliance, Volunteer Efforts for
Development Concerns

9. Key challenges for civil society for
adaptation to climate change?
• Limited/lack of conditional funds for climate
change adaptation – available funding
mechanisms very competitive;
• Varied understanding of climate change
adaptation/mitigation concepts;
• Donor contractual interests, some of which
may not be directly supporting climate change
adaptation;

10. Key challenges for civil society for
adaptation to climate change?
• Limited skills for documentation of climate
change adaptation actions and experiences;
• Few specialized staff with skills and knowledge
in respect to climate change adaptation,
negotiation skills;

11. Key challenges for civil society for
adaptation to climate change?
• Weak coordination among the CSOs – many
initiatives through individual CSOs, networks
but still limited opportunity for developing
minimum standards (communication,
training); galvanizing a common voice;
monitoring government policy and programs
implementation at local, national and
international levels

12. Conclusions
• CSOs in Uganda have demonstrated that they
can make valuable contribution towards
advancement of climate change adaptation in
agriculture and natural resources
management through initiatives as individual
CSOs and also through networks.

13. Conclusions
• Its therefore critical for consolidation of these
initiatives by addressing the underlying
challenges faced by CSOs through advancing
more support (both technical and financial) to
CSOs better coordination and up scaling of
these initiatives

14. Thank you for listening !!!
P.O. Box 11259 Kampala, Uganda, Tel:
0412510215; Mob: +256712862050;
Email: joszake@gmail.com ; Website:
http://www.envalert.org