Why?
The project aims to reduce the impact of natural hazards on vulnerable community members. It increases the resilience of communities to disasters, climate change and environmental degradation. The project also increases the capacity of civil society organisations (CSO’s) to cope with these natural hazards. In Uganda, climate change and natural resource degradation are responsible for increasingly frequent natural hazards, including drought, floods and landslides. When the rains come, they are short and torrential, leading to widespread flooding and destruction of property and infrastructure. Unfortunately, there is increased variability of precipitation expected in Uganda which results in the contamination of drinking water with human waste and increases the occurence of diarrheal and vector-borne diseases. The project focuses on communities in three areas in Northern and North Eastern Uganda. The places are Lira, Apac, Karamoja region, Acholi and Teso
What?
The project involves the implementation of activities that will train the community on disaster risk reduction, climate change adaptation, and environmental degradation. The capacities of the CSO’s are also built, and in turn they will be able to support communities in their advocacy with local government in support of risk reduction plans. Consequently, allowing for the restoration of the ecosystems, protecting, strengthening and diversifying the livelihoods dependent on it.
Who?
The target group are communities who are critically dependent on natural resources to sustain their livelihoods. These are subsistence farmers with few options for alternative livelihoods and include fishermen, agro-pastoralists and farmers who rely on livestock rearing. The project is organized by the ‘Partners For Resilience’, which The Netherlands Red Cross is a member of.