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GoU & MAK Set To Host CBA11 International Conference

Published

9 years ago

June 23, 2017

Rt. Hon. Prime Minister-Dr. Ruhakana Rugunda (L) and Vice Chancellor-Prof. John Ddumba-Ssentamu (R) shake hands at the 11th AARSE Conference, 24th-28th October 2016. CBA11 will be officially opened by the Prime MInister.

Preparations into the 11th International Conference on Community-Based Adaptation (CBA11) to climate change are complete. The Conference is being organized by the International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED), Uganda’s Ministry of Water and Environment (MWE), Makerere University Centre for Climate Change Research and Innovations (MUCCRI) and the International Centre for Climate Change and Development (ICCCAD).

The conference which started with field visits on 22nd -25th June 2017 will be officially opened on 26th June 2017 at the Royal Suites Hotel Bugolobi Kampala under the theme, “Harnessing natural resources and ecosystems for adaptation”.

The conference is expected to attract about 200 International participants and 100 Local participants focusing on empowering communities to use their own knowledge and decision making processes to take action on climate change.

As part of the conference, a parallel Youth Conference is scheduled to take place on 28th – 29th June 2017 at Hotel Africana in Kampala. The theme of the Youth conference is, ” Enhancing the ability of youth to build ecosystem resilence”.

The aim of the CBA conference is to: Share and consolidate the latest developments in CBA best practices, policy and theory across different sectors and countries; Strengthen existing networks of practitioners, policymakers, planners and donors working on CBA at all levels and; Enhance the capacity of practitioners, governments and donors to help those most vulnerable to climate change.

The overall events will take 7 days. The main conference is preceded by field visits to local organizations working with vulnerable communities in various parts of the country from 22 – 25 June, 2017. The field visits will take place in projects that are helping local communities to adapt to Climate Change. The visits will showcase projects in a variety of ecosystems across Uganda, ranging from drought and flood-prone areas, through to forest locations.

A total of (4) organizations have offered to host groups of 15- 20 delegates each for a period of 2 days. 75 participants registered and they will visiting 4 field sites. 2 of them from NGOs (Kikandwa Environmental Association Mityana) and 2 from government (Rakai Masaka area & Mubende Nakasongola).

The formal conference will start with opening session on day one (26th June, 2017), to be officiated by high level representatives from government (Rt. Hon. Prime Minister, Hon. Minister for Water and Environment, Hon. Minister of State for Environment, Vice Chancellor Makerere University etc), Development Partners and Civil Society Organizations.

On the first day of the conference, Government will host a dinner for high level dignitaries to interact with the international participants. Although government will be the official host, IIED will finance the cost of the dinner.

Conference organisation and management
Following a briefing meeting between Makerere University (ERICCA/MUCCRI),IIED and Ministry of Water and Environment on 31st August, 2016 that was Chaired by the PS/MWE, it was agreed that Mr.Charles Esimu Okuraja (Under Secretary) and Mr. Joseph Epitu (Assistant Commissioner Sector Capacity Development) are the CBA11 link persons at MWE, while Prof. Bernard Bashaasha (Principal College of Agriculture & Environmental Sciences) and Dr. Revocatus Twinomuhangi (MUCCRI Coordinator) are the link persons for Makerere University.

The National Organising Committee was constituted under the Chairmanship of Mr. Charles Esimu Okuraja (Undersecretary – MWE), and Prof. Bernard Bashaasha (Principal College of Agriculture & Environmental Sciences) as the Co-Chairperson. The NoC has been meeting regularly (twice every month) since 28th February 2017. Relevant Sub committees were constituted to support the process.

To complement the work of the NoC, IIED has engaged a small team of event managers to coordinate the process at the international level, including day to day engagements with the NoC.

The NoC has undertaken the overall liaison and coordination within Uganda and provided support to the IIED Secretariat in the overall organization and management of the conference. The Ugandan NoC has been responsible for the management of all assignments in Uganda in terms of preparation or realization of the conference and of all issues of representation of Uganda within the conference.

The conference is largely financed by IIED. However, the hosting institutions (MAK and MWE) were required to meet the cost of local organizing preparations, such as allowances for the National Organizing Committee (NoC) and locally invited high level dignitaries, conference fees for the local delegates, transport expenses for the high level local dignitaries and delegates, hosting of the youth conference that is to be held on the sidelines of the CBA.

About the CBA
The International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED) and partners created the International Community Based Adaptation (CBA) conferences to highlight that effective adaptation to climate change takes place at community level. A bottom-up approach to adaptation enables local knowledge and practices to be shared among communities, academics and project managers so that those most exposed to the impacts of climate change are better able to adapt.

Since 2005, nine (9) International CBA conferences have been held in different countries including Bangladesh, Kenya Nepal, Tanzania and Vietnam. Past CBA conferences have focused on scaling up best practice, ensuring a scientific basis to action, communicating and mainstreaming CBA, and ensuring adaptation funding reaches community level.

The ninth and most recent conference was held in Nairobi, Kenya, 24-30 April 2015, in partnership with the African Centre for Technology Studies (ACTS) and was hosted by the Government of Kenya.

The – CBA10 conference was held in Dhaka, Bangaldesh from 22-28 April 2016 on the theme 'Enhancing Urban Community Resilience'.

Having participated in the ninth International CBA Conference (CBA9) in Nairobi Kenya in April 2015, Makerere University and other Government of Uganda delegates became interested in hosting the eleventh CBA Conference (CBAll) in Uganda. Makerere University offered a proposal to host CBA11 in Kampala – Uganda in June 2017.

Regarding Financing, IIED in partnership with the Ministry of Water and Environment and Makerere University fundraised and managed funding and logistics. The Ministry and the university started local planning for the Conference with support from lIED. Both institutions worked closely with IIED to construct an appropriate Conference programme and identify participants.

Report Compiled by;
Jane Anyango;
Communication Officer,
College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences (CAES), Makerere University

General

Call For Abstracts: National Symposium on Climate Migration among Youths in Uganda

Published

9 hours ago

May 13, 2026

Mak Editor

Call For Abstracts: National Symposium on Climate Migration among Youths in Uganda. Submission Deadline: 9th June 2026

Makerere University, in collaboration with the University of Southern Denmark (SDU), Tufts University, and Danish International Development Agency (DANIDA), invites researchers, policymakers, practitioners, and community actors to submit abstracts for the National Symposium on:

Climate Migration among Youths in Uganda: Local Voices for Policy Impact

Date: Wednesday, 12^th August 2026
Venue: Makerere University Main Hall

The symposium will examine the drivers, patterns, and impacts of climate-induced youth migration in Uganda, while advancing evidence-based and community-informed policy responses.

Theme: Climate-Induced Youth Migration and Urban Futures in Uganda: Evidence, Voices, and Pathways for Action

Submission Deadline: 9^th June 2026

Submit Abstracts To: citiesofyouth@musph.ac.ug

Researchers and practitioners are encouraged to contribute research findings, case studies, policy analyses, and practice-based experiences. Abstracts will be considered for oral and poster presentations.

Makerere-SDU-Tufts-DANIDA-National-Symposium-Climate-Migration-Youth-Uganda-CFA Download

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Call for Research Support Applications from Master’s Students who have Completed their First Year of Taught Classes at Makerere University

Published

17 hours ago

May 13, 2026

Mak Editor

Call for Research Support Applications from Master’s Students who have Completed their First Year of Taught Classes at Makerere University. Photo: Nano Banan 2

Makerere University, in partnership with Norwegian University of Life Sciences, Independent University of Bangladesh, Eduardo Mondlane University, and Pokhara University, with funding from Norwegian Programme for Capacity Development in Higher Education and Research for Development (NORHED), is implementing a project: ‘Co-creating Knowledge for Local Adaptation to Climate Change in LDCs (COLOCAL).

The expected outputs of the project include strengthened educational and research capacity, improved knowledge on inclusive Locally Led Adaptation (LLA) and Community Based Adaptation (CBA) including delivering skilled knowledge co-creators, and partnerships to support needs-driven, locally-based and contextually sensitive adaptation. The outputs are anticipated to influence policy, planning and practice around LLA and CBA through collaborative learning and knowledge translation.

In line with targets and activities for 2026/2027, COLOCAL project is offering research support for three (3) Master’s students who have completed their first academic year of taught classes at Makerere University and are interested in undertaking research under one of the following thematic areas. The students MUST have undertaken the course offered under the auspices of the project on Disability, Social Justice and Climate Resilient Development.

Requirements:

A first degree from a reputable university in a field related to the focus of the project
Ugandan citizen below 35 years
Good command of English (spoken and written)
Demonstrated interest in inclusive and climate resilient development
Evidence of practical experience in conducting relevant research during and after undergraduate level
Evidence of full payment of all university fees for the first academic year
The Masters programme being undertaken MUST have explicit content on climate change mitigation and adaptation
Special consideration will be given to students with disabilities, financial challenges, students from ethnic minority groups, internally displaced students, among others

Scholarship and study/research conditions

Availability to complete all research activities in a maximum of 10 months.

Scope of the scholarship

The project will specifically cover stipends and support for field activities only. Support with tuition fees, for the research year, will be provided for students who will complete and submit the research thesis for examination within 10 months from the date of receiving the scholarship offer letter.

How to apply

Interested and eligible candidates should submit the following documents: Application letter, research concept note of not more than 2 pages, academic transcripts/certificates, an updated CV (including contacts of at least two referees) and two recommendation letters.

Send applications via email to: colocal.caes@mak.ac.ug, not later than 20^th May, 2026. This contact can as well be used for inquiries, where necessary.

Call for Research Support Applications from Master’s Students who have Completed their First Year of Taught Classes at Makerere University Download

General

Request For Consultancy Services: Training & Digital Solutions Expert

Published

2 days ago

May 11, 2026

Mak Editor

Infectious Diseases Institute (IDI) Request For Consultancy Services: Training & Digital Solutions Expert. Makerere University, Kampala Uganda, East Africa

The Makerere University Infectious Diseases Institute (IDI) Limited implemented a Gates Foundation training program dubbed “Principle of Management Excellence for Research training” PRIMER in francophone countries, namely, Mali, Cameroon and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). This training was delivered by content experts and experienced practitioners, not professionally trained experts. As such, limiting the quality of slide decks, which were largely fragmented with text rather than graphical and infographic elements that suit a mature audience. To effectively deliver a research training program, advanced, engaging, and efﬁcient tools are critical for fostering audience engagement and participation, and for learning and assessment in research management excellence. To achieve this, IDI seeks to hire an expert to:

design and deliver a set of integrated advanced slide decks combining text, visual learning materials (graphical and infographics) and case scenarios
develop a virtual bilingual community learning platform (VBCLP), i.e. with in-built French and English to engage alumni,
develop and automate a pre-course assessment system that potential trainees ﬁll out, and it automates results that are presented in statistical form for easy interpretation and decision making.

Details: https://shorturl.at/Rzn8d

Apply to: EAkankwasa@idi.co.ug

Deadline: 5 June 2026, 5 PM EAT