Communities affected by the 2012 landslide in Uganda are rebuilding their livelihoods and helping to address climate change through a range of activities that include agroforestry.

Uganda’s New Vision reports on the Territorial Approach to Climate Change (TACC) project which was established in Mbale region to engage communities in various climate mitigation and adaptation strategies.

Through the project, community members are learning the best techniques for growing Arabica coffee and how to prevent soil erosion on hilly terrain. They are also adopting energy saving stoves that use brown soil from anthills and grass to cut down on the quantity of firewood used in preparing food.

Over 28,000 coffee seedlings and 21,000 fruit tree seedlings – such as avocado and mango - have already been distributed to farmers. The farmers are being encouraged to plant trees on hills that have been left bare after residents cut down trees for firewood and brick baking.

A pilot carbon management scheme has been established through the project with the hope that long-term verifiable carbon credits will become available for smallholder afforestation, coffee-shade agroforestry and improved cook stove projects.

The project is funded by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) together with the UK Department for International Development (DFID) and the Danish International Development Agency (DANIDA) with implementation by the Ministry of Water and Environment. It is anticipated that successes of the project will be disseminated and replicated to other regions in the country.

“The platform is providing a useful forum to discuss common challenges and brings together non-governmental organizations and districts to mainstream climate change issues in development planning processes,” says the article.

Read the full story: Bugisu Sub Region