Agriculture & Environment
Prof. Bernard Bashaasha hands over to New CAES Principal, Dr. Gorettie N. Nabanoga
Makerere University Chancellor, Prof. Ezra Suruma appointed Dr. Gorettie N. Nabanoga as the next Principal of the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences (CAES), Makerere University effective 1st February 2022. She is the first female Principal of CAES and will hold the position for a period of four years as stipulated in the Universities and Other Tertiary Institutions (Management of Constituent Colleges of Makerere University) Statute, 2012. Dr. Nabanoga who has been Deputy Principal, CAES takes on from Prof. Bernard Bashaasha who has served in the position since August 2013.
CAES Structure
CAES is composed of three schools and eight Departments. The schools are; Agricultural Sciences; Forestry, Environmental and Geographical Sciences; and Food Technology, Nutrition and Bio-Engineering. The School of Agricultural Sciences is composed of three Departments namely; Agricultural Production; Extension and Innovation Studies; and Agribusiness and Natural Resource Economics. The Departments under the School of Forestry, Environmental and Geographical Sciences include; Forestry, Biodiversity and Tourism; Environmental Management; and Geography, Geo-informatics and Climatic Sciences. The School of Food Technology, Nutrition and Bio-Engineering is made up of two Departments-Food Technology and Nutrition; and Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering.
The College also hosts several research institutes and centres namely; Makerere University Agricultural Research Institute Kabanyolo (MUARIK), the Makerere University Biological Field Station (MUBFS), the Food Technology and Business Incubation Centre (FTBIC), Makerere University Regional Centre for Crop Improvement (MaRCCI), Makerere University Centre of Excellence in Waste Management, Makerere University Centre for Climate Change Research and Innovations (MUCCRI), Makerere University Centre for Soybean Improvement and Development (MAKCSID), the National Biodiversity Data Bank (NBDB) – Uganda, Uganda Forestry Resources and Institutions Centre (UFRIC) – Makerere University, Continuing Agricultural Education Centre (CAEC), and a Consortium for Enhancing University Responsiveness to Agribusiness Development (CURAD). Others are; the Centre for Mountain Resources and Disaster Management, Rangeland Resources Centre, and the Agricultural Policy Analysis Centre. In addition, the College is composed of several administrative units including; the Office of the Bursar, Office of the College Registrar, Human Resource Office, Procurement and Communications.
During her four-year tenure as Principal, CAES, Dr. Gorettie N. Nabanoga will provide academic and administrative leadership to 373 members of staff and over 3,000 students in the aforementioned Units.
Handover ceremony
Today, 15th February 2022, the outgoing Principal, Prof. Bernard Bashaasha handed over to the new Principal at a ceremony witnessed by the Representative of the University Secretary, Ms. Consolata Komugisha; the Director Internal Audit, Mr. Walter Yorac Nono; as well as the Deans and Heads of Academic and Administrative Units at the College.
Presenting his handover report, Prof. Bashaasha congratulated the new Principal upon her appointment and briefed her on a number of issues relating to the status of CAES programmes; assets; ICT infrastructure; student enrolment; registration and graduation statistics; E-Learning; research, innovations, and outreach programmes; online presence and publicity; human resources; the financial status of the college; as well as the achievements registered; challenges experienced over the years, and the pending tasks.
Achievements registered during Prof. Bashaasha’s term of office
Key achievements registered under Prof. Bashaasha include increased student enrolment. As at December 2021, CAES had a total of 2,922 registered students. Of these 2,758 (94.4%) are undergraduate students and 164 (5.6%) are graduate students (Masters and PhD). Other achievements include growth in graduation statistics from 362 undergraduates in 2013 to 467 in 2021, and 122 graduate students in 2021 (with 21 PhDs) from 83 in 2013 with only five PhDs. There has also been accelerated research output resulting into a total of 331 publications in 2021 from 164 in 2018. “The College also revamped the Makerere University Agricultural Research Institute Kabanyolo (MUARIK) Bulletin into Makerere University Journal of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences (MUJAES),” Prof. Bashaasha noted. According to the outgoing Principal, the College has widened research collaborations locally and internationally, established a research grants office and laid the foundation for the CAES Research and Ethics Committee (REC) to support the ethical aspects of research. “An interim REC Committee has been appointed and the application is with the National Council for Higher Education,” he explained.
Other achievements include; enhanced visibility of CAES through the website and other online platforms, the college quarterly newsletter, annual reports and other IEC materials; rehabilitation of research laboratories and facilities at MUARIK including the Diary Value Chain; establishment of a Botanical Garden at MUARIK, increased number of research centres and institutes; enhanced transport facilities; 50 Zoom licenses procured to support blended teaching and learning; increase in number of programmes to 13 undergraduate and 24 graduate – a total of 6 new programmes have been developed during the last 8 years and another 6 programmes are in the pipeline; increase in the number of research institutes and centres; increase in the number of high level research innovations; procurement of a standby generator for the College; and above all enhanced teamwork at the College. “We inherited a college divided in opinion and strategy. We have managed the diversity and coalesced into one CAES family working together for the good of the College, University and nation,” he said.
Key Research, Innovations and Outreaches
The College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences (CAES) undertakes basic, strategic and applied research and development in the broader areas of agriculture, food technology and nutrition, forest management, and environment and natural resources management.
In agriculture, research and development programmes have focused on enhancing farmer-centred approaches, climate smart agricultural systems, value chain improvement for the achievement of food and nutritional security, livelihood improvement and overall rural development. The College has also pioneered R&D in biotechnology, integrated pest and disease management, linking producers to markets as well as incubation of innovation for market products.
The key research achievements include;
- Launch of crop breeding programmes on disease and drought tolerant cowpeas and sorghum by the Makerere University Regional Centre for Crop improvement (MaRCCI)
- Construction of a Graduate Training and Research Laboratory building at MUARIK
- Development of a hybrid dryer, automatic communal borehole, 3D thermal imaging for the pots (value added potatoes), refractive window drying technology for fruits, and a solar irrigation pump
- Development and release of a new soybean variety – Maksoy 6N
- Establishment of a pig semen lab at MUARIK
- Making diesel from recycling plastics
- Making organic pesticides from agricultural waste
- Invention of a three-wheeled multi-purpose farmers’ tractor – MV MULIMI, and;
- Signing of various MoUs on research and innovations
Challenges experienced
Despite the achievements, the College has experienced a number of challenges. These include; erosion of staff, depleted transport facilities, lack of data to support blended teaching and learning, underfunding, limited research funding, lack of a budget for MUARIK, non-registration and overstay on programmes by graduate students, limited teaching space, and depleted ICT facilities. Prof. Bashaasha implored the new Principal to follow up on a number of issues including; pending appointments and replacement of retired staff in critical units – appointment of a graduate programmes coordinator and a dedicated registrar to support graduate students’ registration. He also appealed to her to follow up on the operationalization of the College Research and Ethics Committee and the Grants Office, pending results, mobilization of CAES alumni to support the establishment of the College Endowment Fund, and the rehabilitation of facilities in the College.
Appreciation to staff
Prof. Bashaasha appreciated Makerere University Management and all staff for the cooperation and support accorded to him during his term of office. He pledged continued support to the new Principal and all staff at CAES.
Remarks by Dr. Gorettie N. Nabanoga
In her communication to members of staff at CAES, Dr. Gorettie N. Nabanoga appreciated the Search Committee, Senate and Council for recommending her for the position. She expressed gratitude to the CAES fraternity for their support. “I wish to thank the Search Committee, Senate and the University Council that identified me as the most suitable candidate. My appreciation to all the colleagues at CAES that encouraged, supported and provided mentorship. I will forever be grateful for the trust you have placed in me, and I commit to work tirelessly to deliver on my mandate as Principal, CAES,” she stated.
Similarly, Dr. Nabanoga extended appreciation to the outgoing Principal, Prof. Bernard Bashaasha. “I wish to pay tribute to Prof. Bernard Bashaasha who has steered CAES for the last 8 and a half years with utmost dedication and professionalism. Thank you so much for your commitment to serve CAES. It is great honour and privilege to succeed you and build upon the significant transformations you have made at CAES. I thank you for all the support offered to me as your Deputy, which enabled me to gain management experience and advance my professionalism.”
She equally appreciated her contenders, Prof. Jacob Godfrey Agea and Dr. Patrick Okori for offering themselves for the position. “It showed the zeal and motivation you equally have to serve this university and CAES fraternity in particular. “We may have had slightly different visions and strategies to move CAES in the next 4 years, which if consolidated, shall get the College to the desired level much faster. I pledge to seek and integrate your brilliant ideas, and also harness your networks within and outside the University,” she noted. Dr. Nabanoga acknowledged the support of the former and current Deans and Heads of Department.
Pledge to serve
Getting the Journey started, Dr. Nabanoga pledged to steer the College Management to deliberate on how best to cascade the University Mantra of a Research-Led University, and thus, nurture the CAES that everyone will be proud of. “Through this process, all voices shall contribute to co-creating winning strategies as we nurture the CAES we shall continue to be proud of. I reiterate my aspirations of having a united, harmonious and progressive CAES and, I continue to count on your support, even much more than you did when I served as Deputy Principal. I Pledge to serve you with utmost professionalism,” she stated. Dr. Nabanoga pledged to maintain an open-door policy during her term of office. The open-door policy will not just be about leaving my office door open, but reaching out to all staff to establish their psychological wellbeing and to seek views on how to manage the College better,” she explained.
In his remarks, the Director Internal Audit, Mr. Walter Yorac Nono congratulated the new Principal upon her appointment and appreciated the outgoing Principal for the commitment and dedication that steered CAES to greater heights. “Prof. Bashaasha has come out strongly to defend CAES programmes in various Management engagements and I highly commend him for that,” he said.
The Representative of the University Secretary, Ms. Consolata Komugisha congratulated Prof. Bashaasha for the achievements registered over the years, noting that CAES had not experienced any serious financial challenges under his tenure. She congratulated Dr. Nabanoga upon her appointment as the first female Principal of CAES and pledged to support her. Commenting on the budget cuts that have led to insufficiency in most of the Units, Ms.Komugisha implored Dr. Nabanoga to work towards managing staff expectations, endeavouring to explain and opening up to staff on the situation at hand.
The College Human Resource Officer, Ms. Hawa Harriet congratulated the new Principal and appreciated the outgoing Principal for the cordial working relationship.
On behalf of all staff and students of CAES, the Dean, School of Food Technology, Nutrition and Bio-Engineering, Dr. Abel Atukwase welcomed the new Principal and pledged to support her to advance the mandate of CAES. He appreciated the outgoing Principal for the cordial relationship, mentorship and guidance over the years and appealed to him to continue supporting the College.
Profile of the New Principal Dr. Gorettie N. Nabanoga
Dr. Gorettie N. Nabanoga is innovative, goal-oriented, dependable, trustworthy, open-minded, easy going yet a perfectionist. She enjoys co-creating ideas, learning, unlearning and re-learning when engaging with teammates. She endeavours to always use these qualities in her personal and professional engagements.
She is a Christian, Ugandan citizen, born in 1969. She holds a PhD-Social Sciences; with research in Gender and Natural Resources Management, Wageningen Agricultural University, The Netherlands; a Master of Science in Management of Natural Resources and Sustainable Agriculture (MNRSA), Norwegian University of Life Sciences, Norway; a Bachelor of Science in Forestry, Department of Forestry, Makerere University, Uganda, and she completed her ordinary and advanced levels of education from Mt. St. Mary’s College Namagunga, Uganda.
Dr. Nabanoga completed her 4-year Bachelor’s Degree in Forestry with an Upper Second Honors Degree of Makerere University in 1993 and has since served Makerere University growing through the academic ranks from Teaching Assistant to currently Associate Professor.
She has also held several administrative and academic leadership portfolios in the University; starting as the first female Head, Department of Community Forestry and Extension, Faculty of Forestry and Nature Conservation-MAK for 8 years; the first female Dean of Faculty of Forestry and Nature Conservation-MAK for 3 years; the first female Deputy Principal, College of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences, Makerere University for 8 years; and now the first female Principal, College of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences, Makerere University. She has also served the University on several management committees as Member of the Inaugural Board of Directors, Makerere University Holdings Company for 7 years; Chair, Procurement Sub-committee, Makerere University Holdings Company for 6 years; Chair, Research and Innovations Sub-committee, of the Change Management Committee of the URARFC, Makerere University for one year; Member of the Search Committee for Principal and Deputy Principal for the College of Health Sciences; Member of the Senate Committee in the formation of the Gender Mainstreaming Directorate (GMD); Member of Makerere University Governing Council- Science Senate representative and Member of Makerere University Senate.
She has supervised several undergraduate and graduate students and mentored staff and students, many of whom have risen though the academic ranks under her mentorship; edited a Book, published two Book Chapters, several publications in peer reviewed journals and mobilized close to US$ 14 million research grants through international collaboration with several development agencies and Universities such as Agricultural University of Life Sciences, Norway (UNMB), Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), Lund and Uppsala Universities, Sweden, Wangeningen University, The Netherland, Yale University, USA, Connell University, USA, Michigan State University USA among others. And regional Universities such as Stellenbosch University South Africa; Sokoine Agricultural University, Tanzania; the University of Addis-Ababa, Ethiopia; Egerton University, Kenya as well as many Universities, Ministries, Departments and Agencies in Uganda. She has also been part of a number of consultancy teams local, regional and international.
In fulfilling the University’s outreach and community service mandate, Prof. Nabanoga is currently serving as the Vice Chairperson, Board of Directors – Buganda Cultural and Development Foundation (BUCADEV); and Member of Technical Working Committee (TEWOCO) for the Consortium for enhancing University Responsiveness to Agribusiness Development (CURAD). She previously served as an Advisory Board Member, Uganda Martyrs University – Masaka Campus; Chair, Uganda Martyrs University’s Advisory Board Academic Planning Committee – Masaka Campus; Vice-chairperson, Board of Advisors – Environmental Management for Livelihood Improvement Bwaise Facility (EMLI); and Patron – Buganda Kingdom Environment Development Association. In the private sector, she is one of the Directors, Royal Suites Hotel (a 20 US million dollar 4-Star Suite Hotel with about 130 employees) located in Bugolobi, Kampala Uganda-. Award winner of the Investor of the Year Award in 2003 and Kalanoga Resort (a 2 US million dollar Resort with about 50 employees) located 2km off Kajjansi-Munyonyo Highway, Busabala Road Junction, Kampala, Uganda.
Prof. Nabanoga is a Uganda National Academy of Science (UNAS) Fellow, a member of the Society for Conservation Biology (SCB); Uganda Society for Science and Technology (USST); Norwegian Friends of Uganda (NUFA); Uganda Forestry Association (UFA): and Buganda Kingdom Development Programme-Agro Sector.
Agriculture & Environment
AfPEC Project Targets to Safeguard Ecosystems in the Mt. Elgon Region through Agroforestry
*****Funded by DANIDA, Agroforestry for People, Ecosystems and Climate Change (AfPEC), a five-year project (March 2024-April 2029) focusing on Mt. Elgon Highlands in Eastern Uganda aims to foster to use agroforestry to prevent climate change and loss of biodiversity in the region. The project will focus on four districts namely: Mbale, Bududa, Bulambuli, and Kapchorwa. Project Partners: Makerere University, Aarhus University & University of Copenhagen (Denmark), Youth Leading Environmental Change (YLEC), Seniors without Borders, Forests of the World, Stjernekommunikation, and FrellsenKaffe. Through the project, coffee farmers in the region will be supported to export their coffee to Denmark. The project team held the inception meeting on 25th-26th September 2024 in Mbale City.
Overview
Climate change and biodiversity loss are emerging as two of the greatest environmental challenges facing humanity. In Uganda, natural ecosystems such as forests and wetlands contribute considerably to people’s livelihoods and the national economy. However, rapid population growth has led to the degradation of these ecosystems due to increased demand for firewood and the conversion of land for agricultural purposes. Furthermore, the effects of climate change, including variable rainfall patterns and higher temperatures, are leading to a rise in the frequency and intensity of floods, droughts, landslides, windstorms and hailstorms (UNEP- Ecosystem-Based Adaptation in Uganda). Failure to tackle the effects of climate change threatens the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), with catastrophic consequences that will hit the poorest and most vulnerable communities first and hardest (UCL Global Governance Institute, 2021). The United Nations Decade on Ecosystem Restoration 2021-2030 is a rallying call for the protection and revival of ecosystems around the world, for the benefit of people and nature. It aims to halt the degradation of ecosystems, and restore them to achieve global goals.
Agroforestry as a climate change adaptation strategy
Agroforestry, the purposeful integration of trees or shrubs with crops and/or livestock at the plot, farm, and/or landscape scale, is one potential climate change adaptation strategy to increase the resilience of farmers and agricultural systems against climate risk, providing a range of biophysical and socioeconomic benefits. As highlighted by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) reports of 2022, agroforestry is a promising agro-ecological approach to climate change adaptation because of the multitude of co-benefits that many agroforestry systems provide including, enhanced food security and income opportunities, the provisioning of ecosystem services, and biodiversity conservation (Amy Quandt, et.al 2023). Agroforestry significantly impacts the environment in diverse ways that contribute to both global environmental goals and local sustainability. Despite of the benefits, promotion, implementation and sustainability of agroforestry practices is still not well addressed.
Purpose of the AfPEC project
Coffee farmers in the Mt. Elgon Region in Eastern Uganda have traditionally with success used agroforestry that protects important water catchments and biodiversity hotspots, but these areas now experience degrading soils caused by external factors such as forest loss, soil erosion and population growth. Changes in climate have also affected farming conditions favouring more drought-resistant crops and agroforestry systems with well-developed shade. Agroforestry for People, Ecosystems and Climate Change (AfPEC), a new project funded by DANIDA aims to understand the factors that motivate coffee farmers to engage in agroforestry, and to foster the use of agroforestry to minimize the effects climate change and loss of biodiversity in the region. Specifically, the project aims to document the effects of agroforestry in terms of ecosystem services and livelihood benefits, to understand motivating factors for long-term sustainable development, and to support science-based agroforestry in practice. The project will focus on four districts namely: Mbale, Bududa, Bulambuli and Kapchorwa.
Specific objectives
The project will be implemented though five work packages in line with the objectives below;
1.Quantifying the potential of agroforestry in terms of ecosystem services – Under this objective the focus is to assess the benefits of various agroforestry systems, including carbon sequestration, biodiversity conservation, and other ecosystem services. This research will help stakeholders understand the potential and limitations of different agroforestry approaches and contribute to mitigating climate change and biodiversity loss. Additionally, the findings will be used to select suitable native tree species for planting in highland coffee agroforestry systems.
2.Identifying livelihood benefits from agroforestry and key factors for long-term sustainable development.
3.Channelling scientific knowledge on agroforestry into practice –Given the urgent threats posed by biodiversity loss and climate change in Africa, it is imperative to translate scientific research into practical solutions. In collaboration with NGOs and local farming communities, the project team will disseminate user-friendly information and ensure that research findings directly benefit livelihoods and ecosystems. The goal is to increase local income through sustainable coffee production, carbon credits, and potentially, emerging markets for ecosystem services.
4. Building multidisciplinary capacity at university level –The project will train four PhD students from Uganda, and at least 12 master students from Denmark.
5. Promoting optimized agroforestry systems widely.
Partner Institutions
AfPEC is composed of seven partners: three university partners with multidisciplinary backgrounds, three Danish and Ugandan NGOs and a private communication company. All partners work in close collaboration with four coffee farmer communities. These include; Makerere University, Aarhus University (Department of Ecoscience), University of Copenhagen, Youth Leading Environmental Change (YLEC), Seniors without Borders, Forests of the World, Stjernekommunikation, and FrellsenKaffe.
Project team
The overall PI is Dr Anne Mette Lykke from Aarhus University. At Makerere, the project is coordinated by Prof. John Tabuti from the Department of Environmental Management and Prof. Frank Mugagga from the Department of Geography, Geo-Informatics and Climatic Sciences. Other participants: Aarhus University, Department of Ecoscience (Jørgen Axelsen), Makerere University (Dr Josephine Esaete and Dr Kellen Aganyira), University of Copenhagen (Ida Theilade, Nerea Turreira Garcia, Stine Kroijer), Seniors without Borders (Poul Kroijer, Lone Jacobsen, Kjeld Lanng, Frans Theilby, Lars Brodersen, Jan Thorn Clausen, Hazra Okem, Ann Grace Apiita, Emmanuel Alituha, Christopher Ejiku), Youth Leading Environmental Change (Daniel Esayu, Annet Nakkazi, Richard Tusabe), Forests of the World (Jens Holm Kanstrup, Kristian Lybæk, Abiyu Lencho), and Stjernekommunikation (Jan Stjerne).
AfPEC Inception meeting in Mbale City
On 25th-26th September 2024, the project team held an inception meeting in Mbale City to get stakeholder buy-in and concretize roles of team members. The meeting was attended by 52 participants including the project team, farmers from participating districts, RDCs from participating districts, representatives from the participating NGOs – Seniors without Borders, Youth Environmentalists leading Environmental Change (YLEC) and Forests of the World, and Graduate students attached to the project.
Presentations/remarks by the project team
In his welcome address, Prof. Frank Mugagga, one of the project coordinators at Makerere University appreciated participants for honouring and turning up for the workshop, noting that it was important for the team to establish a working relationship for smooth implementation of the project. Outlining the importance of research and partnerships towards the vision and mission of Makerere University, he expressed gratitude to the funders, and the Project PI, Dr Anne Mette Lykke for her unwavering efforts towards securing the grant.
Presenting an overview of the project, the lead Coordinator in Uganda, Prof. John Tabuti explained that although agroforestry systems have been around for long, their contribution has not been well understood and adopted. Discussing the different work packages, Prof. Tabuti said the project would document both negative and positive impacts of highland agro-ecosystems to improve their contribution to ecosystems and livelihoods.
At the meeting, the Project PI, Dr Anne Mette Lykke briefed participants on ethics and the rules governing the DANIDA AfPEC Grant. She presented the partnership grant agreement, highlighting the research ethics considerations, rules on publications, communication and dissemination requirements, and data sharing and management as guided by DFC. She urged the project team to familiarise themselves with the regulations to ensure timely delivery of the intended outputs.
In his remarks, the representative of farmer groups in Mbale District, also Chairperson of Bufumbo Agroforestry Group, Mr. Hussein Mafabi appreciated the project team and funders, noting that the initiative would greatly improve their skills in agroforestry. Highlighting the factors fuelling environmental degradation in the region, Mr. Mafabi decried the lack of a clear policy on plastic waste management, calling for support to avert the crisis. He emphasized the need to translate the project results into actual policy changes to further collaboration beyond AfPEC. “AfPEC has the support of local communities who are eager and willing to participate in the project activities,” he noted.
During the workshop, representatives from the partnering NGOs including Seniors without Borders, Forests of the World, and YLEC shared their experiences working in the region, outlining success stories in coffee agroforestry that the AfPEC project can leverage to achieve its targets. Prof. Jørgen Axelsen briefed participants on the biological pest control processes, whereas Dr James Johns from Forests of the World delivered a presentation on biomass and carbon sequestration in Uganda’s smallholder agroforestry systems. Speaking to participants, Dr Poul Kroijer (Seniors without Borders) noted that through the AfPEC project, farmers in the region will be able to export their coffee to Denmark. The team expressed willingness to support the project activities.
Presentations by MSc and PhD students supported by the Project
AfPEC project will train four PhD students from Uganda, and at least 12 master students from Denmark.
During the workshop, three Masters Students from Aarhus University, Denmark and four PhD students from Makerere University who will be conducting research on different aspects of agroforestry in the Mt. Elgon Region, Eastern Uganda presented their research ideas to participants who provided enriching feedback. These are; Smilie Nielsen (MSc Human Security) who will be examining the factors that motivate young coffee farmers in Mt. Elgon Region to engage in agroforestry, Ms. Josephine Fogt Anderson (MSc Human Security) who will be studying women-nature relations in agroforestry and planting initiatives (How gender equality can be addressed in tree planting and agroforestry projects), and Ms. Matilda Willemoes who will be exploring the potential for carbon sequestration and storage in coffee Forestry systems.
The PhD students include Mr. Patrick Kayima who will study value chain and livelihood benefits of coffee agroforestry, and Ms. Patricia Adoch who will evaluate the influence of different management practices of coffee agroforestry systems on pollinators and pests in the Mt. Elgon Region. Ms. Joyce Lunyolo will conduct research on incentives for stewardship efforts in coffee agroforestry among farmers in the region, whereas Mr. Derick Kisegu will study and document the contribution of Arabica coffee agroforestry systems in mitigation and adaptation to climate change in fragile highland ecosystems of Uganda.
The students will be supervised by academics from the partner institutions namely: Prof Anne Mette Lykke, Prof. John Tabuti, Prof. Frank Mugagga, Dr. Josephine Esaete, Prof. Ida Theilade, Dr. Kellen Aganyira, Prof. Stine Kroijer, and Prof. Katrine GroFriborg.
Remarks by the Chief Guest
Addressing participants, the Deputy RDC Kapchorwa District, Mr. Martin Sakajja, on behalf of the Resident District Commissioners (RDCs) in the project area, expressed gratitude for the initiative noting that it holds immense significance for the country and world at large. “Agroforestry represents the fusion of agricultural productivity with ecological conservation—a synergy that is critical for sustainable development in our times. For generations, rural populations have depended on agriculture as their primary source of livelihood. Yet, we know the challenges farmers face: declining soil fertility, erratic rainfall, and dwindling forest resources. Agroforestry addresses these issues by promoting sustainable agricultural practices that not only enhance food security but also generate additional sources of income from forest products such as fruits, timber, and medicinal plants. Through this project, we envision empowering farmers to increase their yields while preserving the natural resources they rely on. By embracing agroforestry, we are not only reducing our vulnerability to climate change but also contributing to global climate goals. I commend Makerere University and all the partners involved in this project for their vision and dedication,” he noted.
Remarks by the representative of Makerere University
On behalf of Makerere University, Dr Henry Ssemakula appreciated the project team for the initiative noting that it aligns with the sustainable development goals (SDGs), the National Development Plan, and the Parish Development Model. “The project is also in tandem with our strategy of transforming Makerere into a research-led University responding to national, regional, and global development challenges, and contributing to global knowledge generation. Its commitment to capacity building through Masters and PhD trainings, community engagement, and internationalization is equally commendable.” He appreciated the funders for supporting AfPEC and several other projects in Uganda.
The workshop was moderated by Dr Josephine Esaete, Dr Vincent Muwanika, and Dr Kellen Aganyira from Makerere University.
On the final day of the workshop, the project team conducted a reconnaissance tour of three research sites namely; Bufumbo in Mbale, Buginyanya in Bulambuli District, and Sipi in Kapchorwa District.
More photos from the workshop
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