Written by Matila Tom Micah

Makerere University on 1^st September 2025 held a training and retooling workshop for stakeholders under the TORCH Project. TORCH is a collaborative initiative between Makerere University, the University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences-BOKU, Kyambogo University, Kabale University, University of Juba, and Busitema University. Funded by the OeAD-GmbH under the Austrian Partnership Programme in Higher Education Research for Development (APPEAR), the project seeks to strengthen cooperation between academia and local communities to promote green growth and environmental sustainability. The project aims to promote academic-community partnerships through living labs, training, research, and outreach.

The workshop, held under the theme “Towards a Clean Energy and Zero-Emission Society in East Africa: Strengthening Academic and Community Collaborations in Outreach, Training, and Research in Green Growth and a Healthy Environment”, brought together academics, students, policymakers, and community leaders. Together, they explored strategies for green growth, climate resilience, and sustainable development.

Dr. Patrick Musinguzi, TORCH’s Principal Investigator, opened the event with an overview of the project, explaining key concepts such as green growth and the innovative Living Labs approach. He underscored the urgent need for African universities to lead the charge in green growth, a development model balancing economic progress with natural resource conservation and reduced greenhouse gas emissions.

While the country has adopted the Uganda Green Growth Development Strategy, Dr. Musinguzi pointed out that universities have yet to fully integrate green growth principles into curricula, research, and community engagement. TORCH aims to bridge this gap by establishing three Living Labs in the Central, South-western, and Eastern regions of Uganda, focusing on enhancing teaching, community-driven research, and policy development.

Green Growth

In his presentation, Dr. Musinguzi emphasized the importance of adopting green growth as Uganda’s path to development. He described green growth as “environmentally sustainable economic progress that encourages low-carbon, socially inclusive development.” “Green growth is not merely about environmental protection – it is about creating a future where economic prosperity, social equity, and environmental sustainability coexist,” he explained.

Why Green Growth matters for Uganda

With Uganda’s rapidly growing population placing immense pressure on land, food, and energy resources, Dr. Musinguzi pointed out that per capita land ownership had significantly decreased, while climate change impacts such as floods, prolonged droughts, and erratic rainfall continue to threaten food security.

He stressed that pursuing green growth offers Uganda multiple benefits:

1. For farmers, it ensures resilience to climate shocks, better yields, and access to innovations like solar irrigation and biogas.
2. For the youth, it opens up new job opportunities in renewable energy, waste management, and eco-friendly enterprises.
3. For policymakers, it aligns development plans with environmental sustainability while attracting green investments.
4. For households, it reduces energy costs, improves health, and enhances overall well-being.

Uganda’s policy commitments

The workshop highlighted national frameworks already in place to support green growth, including the National Environment Act (2019), the Climate Change Act (2021), and the Uganda Green Growth Development Strategy (2017–2030). These policies, coupled with Uganda’s Vision 2040, set a clear direction for a low-carbon and climate-resilient economy.

Green technologies being piloted under the TORCH Project

During the workshop, Dr. Musinguzi showcased several practical innovations being piloted under the TORCH Project. These include:

1. Solar home systems that cut fuel demand by up to 25%.
2. Rainwater harvesting tanks that save 20,000–50,000 litres of water per household annually.
3. Improved cook-stoves that reduce indoor air pollution and fuel consumption.
4. Drip irrigation systems that minimize water loss by up to 60%.
5. Biogas systems that convert organic waste into clean energy for households.

Despite these advances, uptake remains low. A 2024 UBOS report revealed that only 3% of Ugandan households currently use clean cooking fuels and technologies, way below international clean energy adoption targets.

The importance of Academia-community engagement in promoting green growth

The training emphasized the need for universities to serve as “living laboratories” for green innovations. Makerere University, through the TORCH Project, is integrating green growth concepts into its curricula, running pilot projects in communities, and training the next generation of sustainability leaders. “We are committed to bridging the gap between academic research and community transformation,” Dr. Musinguzi said. “Green growth must not remain in lecture halls, it has to be felt in farms, households, and cities across Uganda.”

Participants agreed that scaling up green growth is not just a policy ambition, but a national necessity. “With the right investments, awareness, and community involvement, Uganda can transition towards a zero-emission, climate-smart, and inclusive economy by 2040.”

Insights from Participants

1. Dr James Wasike Mangeni from the Department of Sociology and Anthropology at Makerere University highlighted the need to rebuild social structures and foster responsible use of resources within the university, calling on leadership to reinforce environmental management and nurture respectful behaviours among students.

2. Dr. Isaac Newton Alou from the Department of Soil Science and Land Use Management at Makerere University praised the green growth and Living Labs concepts, urging incorporation of sustainability into infrastructure projects like green and solar rooftops, and enhancing student-led data collection for impact assessment.
3. Dr. Anthony Mwije from the Department of Crop Science and Horticulture, Makerere University stressed that green growth starts with personal discipline and should be embedded in university operations, including procurement and transport. He advocated for infrastructure supporting sustainable lifestyles, such as bicycle-friendly roads and reliable public transit.
4. Dr. Olupot Giregon, Head, Department of Soil Science and Land Use Management at Makerere University raised concerns about the equitable distribution of green growth costs, especially for smallholder farmers, emphasizing stewardship and the importance of making green growth meaningful from curricula to end-users.

Living Labs: Innovation at community level

In rural Uganda, smoky cooking fires pose serious health risks for many families. The TORCH Project is tackling this issue by transforming households from passive energy users into active innovators, building a cleaner, healthier future.

At the heart of this initiative are Living Labs – community hubs where academia, industry, policymakers, and local residents collaborate to develop and test practical green technologies. These include biogas digesters that turn animal waste into clean fuel, solar power systems replacing hazardous kerosene lamps, energy-efficient stoves, and rainwater harvesting solutions.

“Living Labs empower communities, especially women, who face the greatest energy challenges, to lead sustainable transitions,” said Dr. Musinguzi. “Students also work directly with villages, gaining hands-on experience in addressing Africa’s energy needs. A significant advantage is linking these efforts to carbon credits, enabling families to generate income by reducing emissions and turning climate action into economic opportunity.”

The TORCH Project plans to expand Living Labs throughout East Africa, supported by digital tools to accelerate clean energy adoption, climate action, and poverty alleviation. More than just projects, these Labs foster community pride and position local residents as innovators in the fight against climate change.

Fort Portal, Uganda

Uganda’s progress toward Climate Smart Agriculture (CSA) will remain limited unless deliberate efforts are made to strengthen agricultural extension services and turn policy intentions into real impact for farmers.

This was the key message delivered at a high-level policy dialogue held in Fort Portal, which brought together over 30 district officials, researchers, and policymakers from 11 districts across the Bunyoro and Rwenzori sub-regions.

The dialogue, held at Night Rose Hotel, was organized by the Environment for Development (EfD)–Mak Centre, under Makerere University, coordinated by  the EfD Global Hub at the University of Gothenburg Sweden, funded by the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida). The event aimed to deepen local understanding of CSA and strengthen connections between policy frameworks and implementation at the grassroots.

In his welcome remarks, Baguma Brian James, Senior Fisheries Officer for Kabarole District, thanked the EfD team for bringing such a relevant discussion to the region. He described the event as a moment of professional and academic reflection, noting that many participants had been reawakened to concepts they once encountered in school.

“I’d like to thank you all for being part of these valuable engagements,” Baguma said. “As Kabarole District, we are actively participating in this project. Our farmers are progressing toward co-funding stages for input support.” He expressed hope that the dialogue would not only offer technical knowledge but also actionable strategies participants could take home and apply.

Representing the Director of EfD-Mak Centre, Dr. Nicholas Kilimani underscored the importance of science in guiding agricultural decisions. He reminded participants that the EfD Centre’s functions include research, outreach, and policy engagement – all of which converge in dialogues like this one.

“The theme of this dialogue Smart Agriculture resonates with Uganda’s urgent need to sustain its agricultural backbone amid mounting pressures from climate change and human activity,” Dr. Kilimani said. He emphasized that decision-making must be grounded in scientific evidence rather than conjecture, pointing out that agriculture, while essential to Uganda’s economy, continues to suffer under environmental degradation, poor planning, and the effects of climate variability.

“We are no longer in an era of trial and error. Decision-making must come from science, not hearsay,” he added. Kilimani also highlighted the power of global collaboration, noting that the EfD network spans six continents, creating a powerful exchange of knowledge to support sustainability around the world. “We are using these global synergies to contribute to a sustainable planet—of which we only have one.”

Fort Portal Deputy Resident City Commissioner, Busingye Emmanuel, officially opened the dialogue and welcomed participants to the city. He applauded the event’s focus on climate-smart agriculture but lamented the widespread failure to enforce environmental laws and coordinate government action effectively.

“Uganda is not short of laws or institutions to protect the environment. The problem is either poor coordination or outright inaction,” Busingye said. He cited the continued degradation of wetlands in Fort Portal as a key example of where environmental protection efforts fall short. While several government agencies exist to enforce these policies, their actions are often fragmented or undermined by personal and political interests.

“If we did what we are supposed to do, we wouldn’t have this level of environmental destruction,” he added. Busingye further urged participants not to treat the event as a box-ticking exercise but as a launching point for real implementation on the ground. “Let’s not attend workshops and stop there. Let us act on the ground.”

Presenting an overview of CSA, Dr. Peter Babyenda revealed sobering statistics about land use and degradation. He noted that agriculture accounts for 72% of Uganda’s land use and that 41% of this land is already degraded. If the current trend continues, by 2040, nearly 90% of Uganda’s land could be under agricultural use, intensifying environmental stress.

“Our natural forest cover once fell to 9%, though efforts to promote CSA have raised it to around 30%,” Dr. Babyenda explained. He warned, however, that only 30% of farmers in Uganda are currently practicing climate-smart techniques — a dangerously low figure given the urgency of climate change.

“CSA offers a triple win  increased productivity, improved resilience, and mitigation of greenhouse gas emissions,” he said. “But adoption remains low due to costs, lack of awareness, and poor access to technologies.” Dr. Babyenda also highlighted the European Union’s upcoming regulatory requirements on deforestation-free coffee exports, warning that Uganda could lose access to lucrative markets if it fails to embrace CSA practices. “Without climate-smart agriculture, our exports will suffer,” he stated.

Dr. Florence Lwiza Nsereko delivered an evidence-based presentation on CSA case studies  and emphasized the critical role of extension services in scaling CSA. She reiterated that agriculture, deforestation, and other land-use forms like livestock production remain Uganda’s largest contributors to greenhouse gas emissions. Yet despite an abundance of policy documents, actual implementation remains weak.

“Climate Smart Agriculture integrates productivity, adaptation, and mitigation. But its adoption remains low because our extension services lack capacity,” Dr. Lwiza said. She pointed to key barriers in extension delivery, including lack of access to training, weak institutional support, and poor perceptions about CSA among field officers. Notably, she revealed that female extension workers often outperform their male counterparts in CSA delivery.

She further noted that Western Uganda is both highly vulnerable to climate shocks and densely populated, making it a prime candidate for CSA interventions. “Western Uganda is both a climate risk hotspot and an opportunity zone. Now is the time to act,” she concluded.

Adding another layer to the discussion, Dr. Aisha Nanyiti presented research on the role of renewable energy micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) in transforming agriculture across Sub-Saharan Africa and Southeast Asia. She argued that clean energy and climate-smart practices must be pursued together to achieve inclusive, low-carbon growth.

“Agricultural modernization and climate goals can go hand in hand — if we remove barriers to clean energy,” she said. She stressed the importance of financial access, supportive regulations, and targeted capacity building to ensure that MSMEs can support CSA.

Closing the dialogue, Deputy Speaker of Fort Portal City, Tusiime Florence, expressed gratitude to the organizers but raised concerns over the sustainability of such engagements. She urged EfD-Mak and its partners to avoid the common trend of one-off workshops that do not translate into long-term support for local governments.

“Workshops come and go, but no one returns to follow up with our communities,” she said. Tusiime called attention to the overwhelming workload and underfunding of agricultural extension officers, many of whom use their own money and have no transport to reach rural areas. “Our extension workers are overworked and underfunded. They have no motorcycles, no transport,” she said. “Yet they are expected to implement national climate and agricultural goals.”

She called for continued support and follow-through from Makerere University and the EfD-Mak Centre. “When farmers dry maize on bare soil, it’s not ignorance – it’s lack of training and support,” she noted. “If you come back and work with us, we will make CSA work.”

The Fort Portal dialogue highlighted the growing urgency to transition from policy declarations to farmer-level action, as climate shocks continue to impact agricultural livelihoods. While Uganda has made strides in crafting climate and agriculture policies — including Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) and CSA frameworks — weak operationalization, limited financing, and poor coordination remain major obstacles. Stakeholders agreed that building capacity, particularly among extension workers, remains the single most effective route to scaling climate-smart agriculture and delivering tangible impact where it matters most — at the farm.

Capacity building focuses on natural resource evaluation, valuation, accounting, climate change mitigation and  adaptation

Over 30 district environmental officers from 11 districts gathered in Fort Portal for a high-level training focused on environmental evaluation, valuation, accounting, and climate change mitigation and adaptation. The first was held in Entebbe.

The training, held at Mofort Hotel, was organized by the Environment for Development Initiative (EfD-Mak Centre) and funded by the Makerere Research and Innovations Fund (MakRIF). It brought together officers from Mubende, Hoima, Ntoroko, Kiryandongo, Kyenjojo, Fort Portal, Masindi, Kabarole, Kamwenge, Kyegegwa, and Buliisa districts.

Facilitated by Dr. John Sseruyange, Dr. Peter Babyenda, Dr. Aisha Nanyiti, and Dr. Nick Kilimani, the program aimed to equip district officers with the tools and skills to accurately value natural resources and integrate findings into local and national development planning.

“We Don’t Know the Value of Our Natural Resource” — Dr. Peter Babyenda Calls for Data-Driven Conservation

Dr. Peter Babyenda, EfD-Mak’s Policy Engagement Specialist, who also represented the Centre Director, underscored the strategic importance of natural resources under Uganda’s National Development Plan IV (NDP IV).

“This training has come at a time when our country… expects sectors like agriculture, tourism, and minerals to contribute almost 75% of projected growth to UGX 500 billion by 2040,” said Dr. Babyenda.

He expressed concern over the lack of economic valuation for key ecosystems such as Mabira Forest, Bugoma Forest, Lubigi Wetland, and even Lake Victoria and the Source of the Nile.

“We don’t know the value of most of these forests and wetlands. Who knows the value of Lubigi? Who knows the value of Lake Victoria?” he asked.

Dr. Babyenda emphasized that district officers are best placed to collect this critical data due to their close proximity to the ecosystems.

UGX 150 Million Invested in Training to Fill Valuation Gaps

The EfD-Mak Centre secured approximately UGX 150 million from MakRIF to conduct the regional trainings.

“We decided to train district officials on how to collect information on environmental issues, value it, and analyze it — so that we know the real worth of these natural assets,” Dr. Babyenda explained.

He emphasized that the training would help officers understand how to evaluate development options, especially when faced with controversial land-use proposals such as constructing factories on wetlands.

In line with its research agenda, the EfD-Mak Centre has developed a Natural Capital Policy Assessment Model, which depends heavily on reliable, grassroots-level environmental data.

“This model requires data, and that’s why we’re training district officers — so they can supply what’s needed to inform national policies and contribute to the debate on conservation versus development,” he said.

Dr. Babyenda highlighted the challenge of balancing job creation for Uganda’s growing population with the urgency of environmental conservation.

“We must develop, yes — but we also need to conserve our environment for future generations,” he stressed.

He called for longer, field-based training sessions, stating that a comprehensive course should span two weeks, including hands-on site visits for practical learning

Next Steps: Jinja, Sembabule, and Post-Training Follow-Ups

Following earlier sessions in Entebbe and the current one in Fort Portal, the training will continue in Jinja and Sembabule. The EfD-Mak Centre plans to follow up with trained officers to assess how effectively they are applying new skills in the field.

Dr. Babyenda also encouraged officers to develop proposals for site-specific environmental valuation projects.

“If someone came up with a proposal to value Queen Elizabeth or Murchison Falls or Mabere ga Nyina Mwiru, they can find funding,” he said. “That’s what we are trying to ignite through this training.”

Training Addresses a Critical Capacity Gap

Dr. John Sseruyange, one of the lead facilitators, reflected on the disconnect between environmental laws and actual implementation due to limited training at the local government level.

“We found a gap among environmental experts at local governments. This training addresses that gap by focusing on evaluation, accounting, and climate change,” he said.

Dr. Sseruyange added that environmental impact assessments require on-site visits, public interviews, and technical studies, which demand resources beyond just staffing — including transportation, time, and access to data.

“These aren’t tasks you can do sitting in the office. It requires serious commitment, and that’s what we’re trying to build through this program.”

Dr. Sseruyange outlined how EfD-Mak moves from research to practice, conducting regional outreach, policy dialogues, and monitoring visits to ensure that training translates into real-world impact.

“We don’t stop at training. We organize dialogues with local governments, document their insights, and take findings to the national level to inform policymakers,” he explained.

EfD-Mak also uses multiple dissemination platforms including TVs, radios, journal articles, and policy briefs to ensure broader public engagement and visibility.

“We Must Help Communities Understand the Value of Nature” — Forestry Officer from Ntoroko

Jeremaya Munobi, a Forestry Officer from Ntoroko District Local Government, said the training was timely, especially for frontline natural resource managers.

“Communities graze in wetlands and engage in sand mining because they don’t understand the value of these resources in monetary terms,” Munobi said.

He emphasized the need for valuation data to make it easier to communicate the importance of environmental protection, design community-driven policies, and advocate for strategic conservation plans.

“When we lose wetlands like Kiyanja, what are we actually losing in shillings? That’s the question we need to answer, and this training is helping us do that.”

Munobi also pointed out that logistical challenges—including inadequate transport and limited funds—hinder local governments from fully executing their environmental responsibilities.

“There haven’t been consistent efforts to help communities understand what they lose when they degrade wetlands. That’s a major gap. If the government closed those gaps, we’d ensure much more effective management of our natural resources,” he concluded.

As Uganda grapples with the dual goals of economic growth and environmental protection, initiatives like the EfD-Mak training program are empowering local actors to become catalysts of evidence-based environmental governance. The Centre’s efforts demonstrate a long-term commitment to ensuring that local knowledge informs national policy, and that natural resources are preserved not just for beauty — but for their true, measurable value to Uganda’s future.