Youth and Grassroots Capacity Building Program

Uganda is increasingly experiencing frequent and severe extreme weather conditions, leading to disasters that, among other issues significantly affect people’s livelihoods, displacing or forcing them to move. According to the World Bank (2021), about 200,000 Ugandans have been affected by extreme weather conditions, including landslides, drought, flash floods, and mudslides over the past two decades.

Additionally, it is estimated that as many as 12 million people (11 percent of the population) could move within Uganda as a result of climate change if no concrete actions are taken by 2050. To address these growing climate mobility realities and challenges in Uganda, in June 2024, Abayuuti Climate Action Network in partnership with AU-IOM Migration Youth Ambassador Ms Rose Kobusinge, with funding support from Global Green Grants Fund, Internation Organisation for Migration(IOM) Uganda and East and Horn of Africa Regional Office, we launched the Youth and Grassroots Climate Mobility Program which is aimed at promoting awareness on Migration Environment and Climate Change(MECC) and capacity building of youth and grassroots to address climate mobility challenges in their communities.

Under this program, from June 2024, we implemented six climate mobility series of actions that focused on localization of the Kampala Declaration on Migration Environment and Climate Change (KDMECC) and climate mobility training to youth from the most affected areas in Uganda. The objectives of this climate mobility series of actions were;

  1. Building a comprehensive understanding of climate mobility

  2. Introducing youth to KDMECC and gathering youths’ views to inform the KDMECC Uganda Action Plan

  3. Fostering connections and collaboration among stakeholders to advance climate action on climate and mobility.

Climate Mobility & KDMECC Youth Capacity Building Workshops

From August to October 2024, we held climate mobility and KDMECC capacity-building workshops in Kampala, Kasese, and online, training over 150+ youths on climate mobility, policy, and action. The training workshops were facilitated by experts from IOM Uganda and the East and Horn of Africa Regional Office to educate youth on climate-induced displacement. These workshops also served as youth consultations for the National KDMECC Action Plan of Uganda. Youth Recommendations from these workshops were compiled and presented to IOM Uganda and the Ministry of Water and Environment for their consideration in the National Action Plan of KDMECC. Find the youth recommendations here.

Climate Mobility and KDMECC Media Advocacy & Awareness

  • The talk show aired within the prime time of Messiah Radio where their estimated coverage is 60,000 active listeners, this ensured awareness creation on climate mobility and sensitization of 

In October 2024, ACAN and partners AU-IOM Migration Youth Ambassador and IOM Uganda were hosted on radio talk shows at Messiah Radio in Kasese and Next Radio in Kampla. The talk shows highlighted;

  1. Climate mobility trends and patterns in Uganda

  2. Youth-led solutions addressing climate mobility in Uganda 

  3. Climate mobility policy and advocacy.

Storytelling

As part of the Youth and Grassroots climate mobility initiative this year, ACAN, in partnership with AU-IOM Migration Youth Ambassador, with funding support from Global Green Grants Fund,  IOM Uganda, and the East and Horn of Africa Regional Office, produced a climate mobility documentary. Titled The Reality, the documentary was filmed from September to October 2024 and showcases the lived experiences, challenges, and resilience of climate-displaced people and those living in disaster-risk areas. It featured diverse characters from affected areas, including climate IDPs from Muhokya Camp, flood-affected people in ghetto slums of Kampala City, Kasese local government leaders, and different initiatives ACAN in collaboration with AU-IOM Migration Youth Ambassador, are implementing to address climate mobility challenges in Kasese district, particularly Muhokya IDP camp.

The documentary was launched at the UN Migration Pavilion COP29 in Baku, ensuring that the voices of climate-displaced people reach and are heard at the global decision-making platform.

  • The documentary was launched at the UN Migration Pavilion COP29 in Baku, ensuring that the voices of climate-displaced people reach and are heard at the global decision-making platform