Climate change and conflict: Localizing Climate-Sensitive Risk assessment – pilot project in Uganda

CECORE in partnership with the Global Partnership for the Prevention of Armed Conflicts (GPPAC) with financial support from UNDP, are implementing a pilot project on localizing climate security risk assessment. The pilot project is being implemented in Zimbabwe, Mozambique and Uganda. In Uganda, the selected district for the pilot is Kaabong. The experiences and lessons learnt are aimed at feeding into the Guidance Note for the localization of integrated climate security risk assessment anchored in the conceptual framework and toolkit developed by the UN Climate and Security Mechanism (CSM). The pilot project in Uganda revolves around conflict and climate change nexus.

Some of the quotes during community engagements:

1)      Mother earth is bleeding due to the destruction we have caused. We need to dress the wounds of the earth such that it can heal and brings us back to better climatic patterns – Fr. Rapheal  Lobeerei

2)      Being a pastoral community and characterized by a semi-arid environment at the same time, the effects of climate change and conflicts are felt on a daily basis  - Resident District Commissioner, Kaabong district

3)      “We as community actors need to be involved because we are the ones who feel the pintch of insecurity and climate change. We know better how it pains and how to respond when there is drought in our community and we have to collect water miles away. We are also the primary victims of insecurity whenever there is insecurity like the armed cattle rustling we are experiencing today” – a woman participant among the community level actors in Kaabong during a brain-storming session on localisation.

4)      Indeed, we must localize climate change. In the end, the global impact finally falls on us. As for us this has a lot of impact on security – including food insecurity which in itself is insecurity” - Deputy Chief Administrative Officer – Kaabong District Local Government.

5)      The guide  is a timely resource to us considering the destruction of our environment and with the level cattle raiding and insecurity going on here – Committee Peace Committee member

6)      We did not know some issues for the first time, especially about the nexus between climate change and the security issues, especially how climate change has escalated the insecurity yet it leads to scarcity of resources hence leading to conflicts. We also learnt of escape routes. We have learnt a lot from the training of today and hope to utilize the skills acquired to apply in my day to day work as well as sensitizing communities” -  Vice Chairperson of Morungole Community Conservancy

7)      …But this discussion has helped us understand better how we can work together with actors dealing with conflicts and those dealing with climate change at community level - Longoo Winney, Chairperson Kathile Peace Champions, Chairperson Women Kathile Peace forum.

8)      In Kaabong it is us women who bear the brunt and are disproportionately affected by the effects of climate change and conflict. For example, unlike in the rest of the country, are the ones expected to cut grass, poles, etc to build shelters – a woman in Kaabong

Kaabong district is part of the Karamoja region in north-eastern Uganda.It is a semi-arid district characterised by changing weather patterns, dry spells, and competition over water and pasture. Kaabong district further has a history of armed cattle rustling within and across the border with its fragile neighbouring pastoral communities of Kenya and South Sudan. Recognising the links between climate change and fragility, local actors in Kaabong used the present climate-related security risk assessment (henceforth,the risk assessment) to identify and develop a roadmap to address climate related security risks at the local level. During the assessment, the Resident District Commissioner of Kaabong affirmed the need to localise climate, peace and security action and stated that ‘the effects of climate change and conflicts are felt daily, and therefore local actors need to understand how to respond.’
The risk assessment applies GPPAC’s Step-by-Step Guidance Note for Localising Climate, Peace and Security in Kaabong. It outlines the key climate-related security risks and shares concrete recommendations on how local peace actors,donors, and policy-makers can adjust their responses to climate-related security risks in order to improve peace and security in Kaabong.