Overview

Climate change presents significant challenges for urban environments, impacting livelihoods, infrastructure, and general well-being. Cities in East Africa face significant climate challenges including increased temperatures, extreme heat, erratic and extreme rainfall, and flooding which threaten and undermine overall resilience of urban communities.  In Kampala, for example, the impacts of climate change are manifested in a number of forms, key among them being flooding.  As many of the poor people in Kampala live in flood plains and reclaimed wetlands, they are exposed to frequent flooding during the rainy season resulting in loss of lives and property. The impact of the floods is exacerbated by poor city planning as these neighbourhoods have no drainage systems. A key priority is not only to mitigate the impacts of climate change but to develop resilience strategies that safeguard and improve urban livelihoods.

LEARN Kampala Dialogue

On 4^th-5^th September 2024, Leiden-Delft-Erasmus East Africa Research Network (LEARN) in collaboration with the Urban Action Lab at Makerere University held a workshop to deliberate strategies for mitigating the impacts of climate change in urban centres in the East African Region.

Organized under the theme; “Resilient Urban Futures: Adapting Livelihoods to Climate Change” and hosted by Makerere University, the two-day cross-city workshop designed to engage with the pressing issue of urban climate resilience, explored adaptive strategies for effectively addressing climate impacts on livelihoods, focusing on urban areas in Uganda. Specifically, the workshop sought to; i)assess the impact of climate change on urban areas-identifying key vulnerabilities and risks, ii) explore adaptation strategies, iii) facilitate collaboration amongst stakeholders including policymakers, community leaders, businesses, and researchers, and iv) enhance resilience of communities to the effects of climate change.

By bringing together diverse stakeholders and focusing on practical solutions, the workshop aimed to foster a collaborative approach to creating sustainable and resilient urban environments.

Keynote on climate change effects and urban vulnerability

The workshop featured a keynote address on climate change effects and urban vulnerability delivered by Dr Michael Mbogga from the Department of Forestry, Biodiversity and Tourism, College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences (CAES), Makerere University. In his presentation, Dr Mbogga emphasized the need for strategies to strengthen urban resilience, indicating that climate change was bound to worsen the challenges being experienced by urban dwellers. “Most urban centres in Sub Saharan Africa are characterized by high population growth rates, with many informal settlements, poor service delivery, and limited capacity to deal with the effects of climate change. This calls for collaborative efforts to strengthen social, infrastructural, economic and institutional resilience to avert the effects of climate change.” Despite the challenges, Dr Mbogga highlighted the need to assess and explore the opportunities presented by climate change. According to the US Environmental Protection Agency, opportunities presented by climate change relate to efforts to mitigate and adapt to climate change, such as adoption of low-emission energy sources, and building resilience.

Focused group discussions and panel presentation

The workshop also featured focused group discussions on risks and vulnerabilities in urban areas, innovations and adaptation strategies for urban areas, strategies for effective stakeholder engagement, tools and resources for community-led adaptation initiatives, and an expert panel presentation on policy and planning for resilience within urban settings. In his presentation, Mr. James Muhwezi from the Finance Climate Unit, under Uganda’s Ministry of Finance, Planning and Economic Development briefed participants on the different initiatives being undertaken by the Unit to mitigate the impacts of climate change. These include development of policy frameworks on climate and green investments. He highlighted a number of opportunities presented by climate change that ought to be explored, including participation in the carbon markets. Presenting initiatives being undertaken by Wakiso District to mitigate the impact of climate change, Ms. Hafsa Namuli, Senior Planning Officer, called for interventions that align with government priorities. She said the district was undertaking a number of initiatives to ensure adherence to infrastructural development guidelines, and encouraging the set-up of smart cities.  

Issues arising from the discussions

1. Factors fueling climate change are political, economic, and social, and should be dealt with holistically.
2. Unplanned settlements in urban centres exacerbate the risks posed by climate change.
3. Lack of drainage systems in many urban centres in Eastern Africa, hence the high rate of flooding that poses health and economic challenges.
4. Limited enforcement of laws contributes to climate change.
5. Limited awareness amongst the vulnerable communities of the risks posed by climate change.

Way forward

1. There is need to deal with urbanization holistically, not only focusing on the capital city.
2. There is need to increase investment in climate change risk management.
3. Urban communities should be continuously educated on the dangers of climate change and measures for strengthening resilience.
4. Joint efforts required to strengthen law enforcement.
5. Participants agreed to sustain the conversation to find lasting measures for averting climate change, and strengthening resilience in urban centres.
6. It was also agreed to continuously share work on resilience within the region.
7. LEARN should continue engaging partner countries through workshops and conferences.
8. Creation of benchmarking opportunities so that countries continuously learn from each other.
9. Countries encouraged to explore opportunities presented by climate change.

The workshop was coordinated by Ms. Alice Menya on behalf of LEARN, and Dr. Paul Mukwaya, Head, Department of Geography, Geo-Informatics, and Climatic Sciences, Makerere University. It was moderated by Dr. Patrick Byakagaba from the Department of Environmental Management, Makerere University.

About LEARN

Leiden-Delft-Erasmus East Africa Research Network (LEARN) is an international multidisciplinary research network focused on collaborative and transformative urban research. The network aims to strengthen science-policy-society interactions through co-creating contextually relevant, evidence-based, and transformative knowledge to address pressing urban development challenges in Africa. It brings together academics, policy-makers, and civil society actors from Eastern Africa and The Netherlands, with the primary focus of fostering co-production of actionable, practical, and impactful research in Africa. Thematic Focus Areas include urban resilience, cities and climate change, art, culture and heritage, digitalization, and informality. Activities: research, policy, science communication, education, and exchange and mobility.

The Urban Action Lab

The Urban Action Lab is a pioneering initiative based at Makerere University, dedicated to addressing the multifaceted challenges of urban development. As a collaborative hub, it unites researchers, policymakers, community leaders, and industry experts to drive sustainable solutions that enhance the quality of urban life. Its focus spans six critical dimensions: sustainable urban and regional development planning, global environmental change, urban socio-economic environments, inclusive local economic development, spatial practices, and critical mapping, as well as the dynamics of places, networks, and flows.