Agriculture & Environment
Mak Environmental Economists hold Policy Dialogue with Bugiri District Leadership
Published
5 years agoon

Environmental economists from the Environment for Development Initiative (EfD-Mak Centre) were on 28th and 29th October 2020 in Bugiri district, Eastern Uganda to dialogue with the local government officials on Lake Victoria’s rising water levels and pollution.
The team led by the Director EfD-Mak Centre Assoc. Prof. Edward Bbaale met with Bugiri district local government officials including the administrative and technical arms at the district headquarters.
Officials met included the Chief Administrative officer (CAO), Resident District Commissioner (RDC), Clerk to Council, Chairperson Local Council V, District speaker, District Police Commander and officers from the Environmental Police Protection Unit. The technical team was largely composed of the District Natural Resources officer, Forestry and Water officers as well as District planners and engineers. The meeting was also attended by representatives from Civil Society organizations (CSOs) and the Private sector.
Lake Victoria Basin (LVB) is a critical trans-boundary natural resource, underpinning the economy and livelihoods of the population, acting as a waste repository and providing food, energy, irrigation, drinking water, tourism and transportation to the surrounding communities and, is the primary modulator of the region’s climate.
Despite its importance, the LVB has undergone intense environmental degradation for decades, resulting in significant ecological and economic challenges. During the period of late January 2020, the effects of Lake Victoria bursting its banks started to be felt with several landing sites and settlements damaged by floods leaving almost half a million people homeless and property worth billions of shillings destroyed in Uganda, Kenya and Tanzania.
The EfD-Mak Centre is mandated to carry out training, research and policy engagement in the realm of environment and natural resources and advise government on the best way the environment can be managed using evidence generated from research.
The university was in Bugiri because of its location and unique features. Bugiri district is located in Busoga Sub-region with a total land area of 1,045.9 km2 (403.8 sqmi). The district is located in a flat and rolling topographical zone with 90% of its landmass constituting the drainage basins of Lake Victoria and Lake Kyoga. As a result, there are many swamps that crisscross the district as well as landing sites. The land surface is characterized by gentle undulating hills with few higher residual features. The district has a total of 1562m2 covered by water Wakawaka landing site covering 26,178 m2, Namatu (62,505m2), Rwengemaziriga (30,024m2) and Rwengekarent (26,645m2). The catchment areas have been grossly degraded, forest cover cut and swamps reclaimed.
The objectives of the policy dialogue was to discuss with district officials the status, challenges and to come up with strategies on how to have a nuance existence between the environment and human development.
Speaking during the opening ceremony, Bugiri district Chief Administrative Officer (CAO) Mr. Ezaruku Kazimiro welcomed Mak dons to the district saying, the dialogue had come at a time when the district was experiencing very serious effects of climate change and environmental degradation manifesting with floods that were still continuing. Kazimiro called upon participants to put up some mitigation measures to address these challenges to enhance sustainability in the district and country at large.
The CAO described the policy dialogue as important and, one thatis in line with the National Development Plan III (2020-2025) whose implementation has just started. He said, the NDPIII considers environmental management and climate change very seriously which to some extent must also guide the dialogue.

Mr. Kazimiro said, the NDP III goal under natural resources and climate change sector is to stop and reverse the degradation of water resources, environment, natural resources as well as the effects of climate change on economic growth and people’s livelihoods.
“The key issues or challenges affecting the environment which this country wants to address in this period under NDP III are poor management of water, environment and natural resources coupled with worsening effects of climate change due to high exposure to hazards and disasters, low disaster risk planning, rampant degradation of environment and natural resources, limited access and uptake of meteorological information and poor coordination and institutional capacity”, The CAO said.
The CAO said, there is poor coordination among different institutions, sectors and local government, absence of incentives for good environment practices adding that, there are some key targets which must be achieved under NDP III five years from now.
This according to Mr. Kazimiro include, increasing percentage of land area covered by forests from 9.1% to 15% countrywide, to increase the percentage of the land area covered by wetlands from the current 10.9% to 11.5% within five years among others.
Speaking on behalf of the Resident District Commissioner, Ronald Mukasa expressed the dilemma between environmental conservation and development.
“We have so many activities that are ongoing within our environment. We have timber cutting, we have sand mining in the waters, we have charcoal burning, we have construction ongoing but how really do we protect our environment when development is also going on hand in hand?
We have to sensitize our community and population on how to manage nature while preserving the environment. Our call is to plant more trees as we cut some down and this is the only way we shall maintain the environment and even preserve nature”. He said reiterating the call by the government and the president condemning acts leading to environmental degradation.
The representative of the LC5 Chairperson Mr. Mutamba Musa thanked Makerere University for considering Bugiri for the dialogue. He said forests in Bugiri were getting depleted, water levels rising and many activities taking place in the wetlands.
He told participants that the task ahead of every stakeholder was to ensure that the catchment areas that feed the bigger water bodies are protected. Mr. Mutamba attributed the degradation of the environment and natural resources to inefficiencies in environmental committees and the increasing population pressure.
“I would also love to encourage fellow leaders to also ensure that the environmental committees are made active. It is true we have these committees but they are inactive, so we should ensure that they do what is expected of them.
I also think that as Ugandans we are over producing and as you are aware, the supply of land is inelastic so, people have started encroaching on forests and wetlands for survival. So we should ensure that at least we produce manageable numbers of children to safe guard our environment”. Mr. Mutamba said.
The District Police Commander Mr. Ssebuyungo Geofrey noted that although Uganda has adequate policies on environmental protection and institutions including the Environmental Police Protection Unit, there is lack of support to the enforcement and sometimes environmental protection is taken up by politics.

“We need the independence of the enforcement team when it comes to environmental policies. It is also time that we develop a policy on road reserves, so that we plant trees by liaising with Uganda National Roads Authority (UNRA) because this is free land”. The DPC proposed.
Ssebuyungo also noted that environmental protection must be perceived and conceptualized in terms of development encompassing many things like empowering people to fight poverty.
He said, besides helping ordinary people to use the environment to make money, there is need to think of a policy for all Bibanja owners to plant trees along their boundaries and encouraging all people to have tree projects that can earn them big sums of money in future.
The Clerk to Council Mr. Nandhbu Joshua said Bugiri is one of the worst affected districts with the changing environment especially the rising or changing levels of Lake Victoria.
“We have a landing site called Wakawaka, it has displaced a multitude of homes, people are now moving around but as government we embarked ourselves on constitutionalism. The Minister of Environment wrote to clerk directing that all people who are around the affected area vacate”. He said adding that people who were instructed to leave the landing site were stuck and have nowhere to go.
In her Keynote address, the Senior Environmental officer Bugiri district Ms. Kauma Benadet who is also the Ag. Natural Resources officer reported that the district is faced with anumber of challenges regarding environmental management including the rising water levels, sedimentation due to encroachment of the buffer zone, increasing water pollution and declining fish stocks.
The environmental officer reported that in March 2020, a number of people were displaced by the rising water levels on L. Victoria and they have not been resettled to date, leading to the decline of many economic activities.
“The increasing pollution of water is due to lack of sanitary facilities. We have over one thousand people along the shore, most of these are living close to within 200m of the lake and this has led to a lot of pollution. We only have one pit latrine that was provided by the district which cannot serve this whole community and so, the only alternative is the water source, Lake Victoria”. She stated.
Ms. Kauma said the district was grappling with issues of sedimentation as a result of waste disposal because the catchment, the wetlands have been silted and most of this silt ends up in the lake. She added that most of the people around the shore line have migrated from the village because they don’t have land, so they end up even cultivating the small area on the buffer zone hence increasing the silt in the lake.
The Environmental officer attributed all the environmental issues in the district to the increasing poverty levels and the declining economic activities.
“Most of the people who destroy our environment are below the poverty line and the only thing they can resort to for a living are the natural resources. That’s why you see most of our forests are disappearing because of charcoal burning and the demand of fuel wood. We see the way swamps are disappearing because people have to cultivate rice to earn money to take their children to school, to get the necessary medical services”, Ms. Kauma stated.
She however said, the district was partnering with development partners like the World Vision and Red Cross Society that have provided resources to mitigate the challenges.

Ms. Kauma also expressed gratitude to the government for increasing the budget for natural resources management in the district.
“We now have a running budget of 35 million shillings of which about 10 million shillings is for enforcement. So, on issues leading to pollution of the lake, sedimentation and the like, we are going to ensure that we enforce because we have regional officers in the management of environment. We shall always be calling them on board so that we can force the implementation of the 200m buffer zone.” Ms. Kauma stated.
The Director EfD-Mak Centre Prof. Edward Bbaale explained that the bursting of the lake banks is just an effect of the degradation of environment more especially the catchment areas.
“The forests have been cleared, the swamps have been cleared and as a result, erosion of all the debris with all the materials, metals, sediments end up directly in the lake.
The lake is very shallow with an average depth of 40m and the highest being 80m and once degradation goes on for many years as of now, time comes when the lake is over whelmed and as I speak now the lake is over whelmed. It is saturated no wonder it has burst its banks leading to all sorts of issues”. Prof. Bbaale said.
The Director said Lake Victoria is a trans boundary natural resource not only in Uganda but touches other East African countries where part of the solution lies in a consensus and joint efforts where governments must work towards a common goal.
As for Uganda, the professor observed that there is no need for new regulations because the government is already committed to institutions.
“Government has established a number of institutions and frameworks that are intended to protect the natural resources and environment. From parliament for example, we have a Parliamentary Committee in charge of natural resources and environment. We have the Ministry of Water and Environment, we have NEMA, and others and the government has worked together with civil society to protect the environment.
What we need to do is to implement and remove the weaknesses in the implementation of regulations that are here. The weak enforcements should be worked on or revised as a mechanism of achieving favorable environmental and natural resource outcomes”, He explained
Prof. Bbaale said as university researchers, they have a role to play because the population needs alternatives and these alternatives must come from new knowledge generated from research for instance on green energy or clean energy that can be used other than cutting forests or making charcoal.
The Centre Director expressed the university’s commitment to conducting research in the new alternatives as far as energy and agriculture are concerned noting that Agriculture is one of the culprits leading to degradation.
“The type of agriculture being practiced is not smart agriculture. This is the type of agriculture where even the productivity is so low, output per person is so low to the extent that if someone wants to harvest a lot, he needs a very big chunk of land.
But now, there should be research in the new agronomical practices that can ensure the highest yields even on a very small piece of land. You don’t need to clear a forest to have great alternative from your agriculture. You just need to undertake smart agriculture, you just need to work on agricultural productivity as a mechanism of protecting the environment”, He said.
Report compiled by: Jane Anyango, Principal Communication Officer, CAES
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Agriculture & Environment
Strengthening Capacity and Shaping Policy: Makerere University Reviews Progress of MERIT and Environmental Risk Research Programs
Published
4 days agoon
November 18, 2025
Makerere University, this week, through the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences (CAES), hosted a comprehensive impact review of the Environmental Risk Management Under Increasing extremes and Uncertainty (MERIT) Project, bringing together faculty, researchers, students, and partners from Ugandan and Norwegian institutions. The discussions highlighted the transformational impact of collaborative research, student engagement, and capacity development in shaping policy, strengthening community resilience, and advancing Makerere’s contribution to national development.
A Cross-Continental Partnership Driving Change
The MERIT Project, focusing on Environmental Risk Management and the Increasing Extremes and Uncertainty, is a five-university collaboration funded by the Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation (NORAD) under the Norwegian Programme for Capacity Development in Higher Education and Research for Development (NORHED) programme. The project, which runs from 2021 to 2026 (with a one-year extension due to COVID-related delays), seeks to enhance mutual collaboration between universities in Sub-Saharan Africa and Norway. The project grant is worth 20 million Norwegian kroner and is being implemented across four Universities, namely, Makerere University, Uganda Martyrs University, University of Dar es Salaam, and Haramaya University in Ethiopia, with a strong involvement of the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU) and the Western University of Science and Technology.
Its core components include:
- Curriculum review and development
- Staff and student training (Master’s and PhDs)
- Joint research and publications
- Community-based environmental risk interventions
- Student and staff exchange programs
- SDG integration and gender mainstreaming
So far, 20 staff and 15 mainstream students have benefited from and participated in the project initiatives, with 13 Master’s and 2 PhD candidates progressing through specialised training in environmental risk management, geohazards, and disaster risk studies.
Student Research Driving Evidence-Informed Policy and Practice
The MERIT and NORHED-supported projects have empowered graduate students and early-career researchers at Makerere University to undertake cutting-edge research that directly informs Uganda’s environmental risk management agenda. Although the full findings are yet to be published, the projects have catalyzed important scientific inquiry in several key areas.
Some of the students are currently working on:
- Improving environmental data and modelling to strengthen flood forecasting, hydrological planning, and climate-related risk assessment in high-risk regions.
- Assessing disaster risk reduction practices at the local government level and examining how global frameworks such as the Sendai Framework and the SDGs are being implemented on the ground.
- Exploring nature-based solutions, including sustainable approaches to land restoration, riverbank stabilization, and ecosystem protection.
- Studying climate impacts on agriculture and food systems, with a focus on supporting vulnerable households and smallholder production.
- Mapping urban ecological systems, including forest patches and carbon stocks, to guide sustainable urban planning.
- Documenting community-led adaptation strategies and traditional ecological knowledge to strengthen locally grounded resilience approaches.
- Evaluating the role of non-state actors, such as NGOs and community groups, in environmental risk reduction and recovery efforts.
Together, these research efforts are generating practical insights that can shape policy development, inform district and national planning, and strengthen community resilience. The projects are also building a new cohort of scientists equipped with the skills to bridge academic work with real-world environmental management challenges.

Community Engagement and Local Knowledge at the Centre
The Environmental Risk Management component of the MERIT project has contributed to impactful knowledge and research vital for community interventions in highland and mountainous areas such as Mbale, Bududa, Sironko, and other districts that are prone to environmental risks, like landslides, flooding, and geohazards.
Key community-focused activities highlighted in the meeting included digitizing households in high-risk areas, using remote sensing and GIS to develop contextual warning systems, documenting and integrating traditional ecological knowledge, assessing community resilience and vulnerabilities, and generating data for localized environmental risk planning. Such engagements not only strengthen community preparedness but also provide students with rich field experience and data for their research.
Student Exchanges and a Global Learning Experience
In an Interview, Prof. Harald Aspen,the Head, Department of Geography and Social Anthropology at NTNU, and Ms. Charlotte Nakakaawa Jjunja, the administrative co-ordinator of the project at NTNU, noted that, so far, five students from NTNU are currently undertaking research and internships in Uganda, immersing themselves in local challenges and contributing to joint innovations. Ugandan students have also benefited from exposure to Norway’s systems, creating a two-way flow of knowledge and experience.
They further noted that the exchange program, supported by the CostClim project under the Norpart project, helps students appreciate the complexities of implementing SDGs in diverse contexts, turning theory into practical, actionable insights.
Strengthening Makerere’s Institutional Capacity
Makerere University has benefited significantly from the MERIT collaboration. In his remarks, Prof. Yazhidi Bamutaaze, the Deputy Principal, CAES, noted that the College had acquired a Land Cruiser to support fieldwork, funding for curriculum review and SDG evaluation, support for gender mainstreaming initiatives, research funding for senior academic staff, enhanced visibility through joint publications and innovations, competence development trainings for college staff and students and co-supervision arrangements among others.
Such partnerships reinforce the University’s strategic commitment to cutting-edge research, global collaboration, and community impact.
Sustainability, Student Energy, and the Path Forward
A major segment of the meeting focused on the operationalization of sustainability principles across the University. Dr. Paul Mukwaya, the Head, Department of Geography, Geo-informatics and Climatic Sciences at CAES, emphasized leveraging student enthusiasm, building sustainability clubs, and avoiding passive “mainstreaming” in favour of proactive sustainability actions.
Key recommendations included:
- Training students on how to develop policy briefs
- Ensuring every student project reflects the SDGs
- Creating a central repository or map of all student work
- Strengthening academic supervision to grow student confidence
- Building systems that ensure research outputs influence actual practice
Dr. Mukwaya further highlighted the importance of student self-confidence, continuous reflection, and mentorship in shaping future academic and professional careers through the MERIT project.

Challenges and Opportunities
While the project has achieved significant milestones, several challenges remain, such as administrative and IT-related delays, balancing donor expectations with academic timelines and bureaucracies, maintaining strong collaborations across multi-university partnerships and ensuring sustainability initiatives are integrated and action-driven
Conclusion: A Growing Ecosystem of Impact
The review meeting affirmed that the MERIT and related research programs are not just academic exercises; they are shaping the future of environmental resilience, policy development, and capacity building in Uganda. The University’s commitment to student growth, collaborative innovation, and evidence-based policy influence underscores the central role Makerere continues to play in national and global development conversations.
As the project enters its final years, the focus now shifts to consolidating gains, scaling successful interventions, and ensuring that the research produced today continues to transform lives tomorrow.
Caroline Kainomugisha is the Communications Officer, Advancement Office, Makerere University.
Agriculture & Environment
SFTNB-MIIC Partnership Nurtures Entrepreneurial Learners & Change Agents
Published
1 week agoon
November 12, 2025By
Eve Nakyanzi
The School of Food Technology, Nutrition and Bio-Engineering (SFTNB), in partnership with the Makerere Innovation and Incubation Center (MIIC), held the third edition of its Entrepreneurship Exhibition on 12th November 2025, bringing together student innovators to showcase a semester’s worth of creativity, research, and product development. The exhibition is a key milestone under the SFTNB Entrepreneurship Program – Cohort 3, a structured model that guides students through the full innovation journey — from idea generation and business training to prototyping, testing, and market access. Supported by MIIC with a UGX 7 million innovation fund, the program has empowered more than 60 students across 15 innovation groups to develop practical, sustainable, and market-ready solutions in food technology, nutrition, and engineering. This year’s exhibition provided a platform for students to present their prototypes, share their business concepts, and engage with university leaders, industry partners, and potential investors, further strengthening Makerere University’s commitment to nurturing a new generation of entrepreneurial change-makers.

The Vice Chancellor Prof. Barnabas Nawangwe commended the School of Food Technology, Nutrition and Bioengineering for nurturing innovations that reflect both creativity and commercial potential. He observed that many of the student products exhibited could be patented, scaled up, and exported, provided their shelf life, packaging, and branding are further improved. Emphasizing that innovation must go beyond classroom projects, Prof. Nawangwe urged students to view their work as viable enterprises capable of transforming communities and creating employment. He also pledged the university’s support in helping innovators register companies and access product certification, even suggesting that Makerere could subsidize related costs. He further called for closer collaboration with economists and marketers to assess product feasibility, adding that the university’s innovation ecosystem should include a dedicated marketing unit. He concluded by reminding students that their ideas hold the power to reshape Uganda’s economy and uplift livelihoods. “Don’t think what you’re doing is small. You’re contributing to transforming a whole society,” he said, adding that “You will not need to go out looking for jobs; you will be creating them.”

The Dean of the School of Food Technology, Nutrition and Bioengineering, Prof. Julia Kigozi, expressed heartfelt gratitude to the Vice Chancellor and the university management for their continued support toward the school’s initiatives. She noted that the exhibition was a reflection of the hard work and creativity of students who are being equipped not only with technical skills but also with the mindset to innovate and contribute meaningfully to industry. Prof. Kigozi highlighted that the school’s projects have significant potential for commercialization and industry collaboration, made possible through ongoing support and funding. She reaffirmed the school’s commitment to nurturing practical, industry-relevant training that empowers students to apply their knowledge beyond the classroom. “When you see the students out here working hard, they are very encouraged,” she said, adding that “what they are doing demonstrates a lot of potential for products to go out for commercialization and for creating training platforms that can support industry in various ways.”

Mr. Gilbert Buregyeya, Programs Lead of the Makerere Innovation and Incubation Centre (MIIC), commended the School of Food Technology, Nutrition and Bioengineering for its commitment to innovation and practical learning. He noted that the partnership between MIIC and the school has been instrumental in redesigning the curriculum to emphasize commercialization and market readiness of student projects. Highlighting ongoing efforts to make the certification process more accessible for young inventors, he revealed discussions with the Uganda National Bureau of Standards (UNBS) aimed at developing flexible, lower-cost certification pathways that allow students to test their products in the market.

Mr. Buregyeya further emphasized the importance of cross-college collaboration within the university, pointing to successful engagements with other colleges such as COFA and Queensland College. He expressed optimism that Makerere’s innovation ecosystem will soon produce groundbreaking, market-ready products capable of competing globally. “We are happy that the journey is underway this semester,” he said, adding that “our goal is to support young innovators to move from small markets to compete with the bigger ones outside, and to make certification and commercialization more attainable for students.”

Representing the Deputy Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs, the Principal of the College of Business and Management Sciences (CoBAMS), Prof. Edward Bbaale commended the School of Food Technology, Nutrition and Bioengineering for integrating innovation and entrepreneurship into academic training. He described the student exhibition as a celebration of “innovation, action, purpose and science that transforms,” noting that such initiatives align with national goals of value addition, sustainability, and community transformation. Prof. Bbaale emphasized that the showcased projects — spanning food, nutrition, and engineering — demonstrate how students are emerging as entrepreneurial learners and change agents addressing real-world challenges.

He acknowledged the Makerere Innovation and Incubation Centre (MIIC) for supporting student-led research and urged innovators to remain focused, ethical, and community-oriented in their ventures. Commending the mentors and staff for their guidance, he reaffirmed the university’s commitment to building a research-intensive, innovation-driven ecosystem that supports ideas from concept to commercialization. “Never involve yourself in a business when you are not serving a community problem,” he advised, adding that “you have shown resilience, creativity and passion — proving that innovation knows no bounds. The future belongs to those who are ready to build it.”

The exhibition concluded with the recognition of the top-performing student innovation groups, celebrating their creativity, technical skill, and market potential. Umoja Lacto Blend emerged as the Second Runner-Up, impressing judges with its unique product concept and strong value-addition focus. The First Runner-Up, Green Farm Tractor, showcased an innovative engineering solution designed to improve agricultural efficiency and accessibility for smallholder farmers. Taking the top spot was Agri Farm, whose outstanding innovation, clear business model, and readiness for market positioned them as the overall winners of the 2025 cohort. Their achievements reflected the high caliber of talent within SFTNB and the transformative potential of student-led entrepreneurship.

Agriculture & Environment
Vice Chancellor Closes International Conference on Food Systems Transformation for Climate Action
Published
3 weeks agoon
October 29, 2025
Certificates awarded to participants as Makerere reaffirms commitment to climate-smart agriculture
Makerere University has today October 29, 2025 closed the International Conference on Food Systems Transformation for Climate Action, with participants awarded certificates for their contribution and completion of the intensive two-day engagements. The conference brought together researchers, policymakers, students, and international partners to deliberate on how to transform food systems in the face of growing climate challenges.
Speaking at the closing ceremony held at the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences (CAES), Vice Chancellor Prof. Barnabas Nawangwe commended the organizers and participants for their active engagement and commitment to addressing challenges in food systems and climate change.
“This training has been very useful. Every conference I attend teaches me something new, and I can see that this has been a rich learning experience for everyone here,” said Prof. Nawangwe. “We must continue to innovate and work closely with smallholder farmers to ensure that even the smallest pieces of land are used productively. Technology, artificial intelligence, and affordable irrigation systems can make a real difference.”

The Vice Chancellor emphasized the importance of turning university research into practical solutions that benefit communities, noting that Makerere’s scientists must go beyond publications to create commercial products and start enterprises that add value to their innovations.
“Our professors should not only retire on government pension but also on royalties from their innovations,” he added. “We must transform our research into products and services that create jobs and wealth.”
He further highlighted the importance of protecting intellectual property and promoting collaboration between universities and industries, drawing lessons from global examples such as Malaysia and China, where research and innovation have powered industrial growth.

Representing the Principal of CAES, Dr. Julia Kigozi, the Dean of the School of Food Technology, Nutrition, and Bioengineering, appreciated the Vice Chancellor for gracing the conference and commended participants for their enthusiasm.
“We explored challenges, trends, and opportunities in food systems and climate change, and this conference has given our researchers and PhD students valuable insights,” she said. “It reminded us that while challenges are shared across countries, we can each start small and still make a difference.”
Dr. John Baptist Tumuhairwe, one of the conveners, emphasized the importance of integrating climate action into food systems transformation, noting that the conference had strengthened Makerere’s networks in food and agricultural sciences.

“This meeting has expanded our collaborations and reaffirmed the university’s leadership in advancing sustainable food systems,” he said. “It was also deliberate in engaging the youth, who are our next generation of innovators.”
On behalf of the OIC Standing Committee on Scientific and Technological Cooperation (COMSTECH), Dr. Haris Akram, the Program Manager, thanked Makerere University for hosting the international gathering and reiterated the need for continued collaboration.
“We must ask ourselves whether this workshop will make a difference in our lives and practices,” he remarked. “The real success lies in how we apply the knowledge gained to improve food security and sustainability.”

The conference, organized by Makerere University’s College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences in partnership with OIC-COMSTECH, brought together experts from across Africa and Asia to share experiences on sustainable food production, agro-processing, and climate-smart innovations.
Officially closing the conference, Prof. Nawangwe in his remarks reaffirmed Makerere University’s commitment to leading research and innovation in agriculture, food systems, and climate resilience.
“Agriculture remains the backbone of our country and the most important driver of our future,” he concluded. “Let us put our heads and hands together to transform this sector and build a sustainable future for our people.”
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