JESE Launches A New Project On Smallholder Farmer Resilience To Climate Change

Strengthening smallholder Farmer Resilience to climate change through joint learning, development and evaluation of Contextualised Solutions case of the Rwenzori and Kigezi highland Regions of Uganda (SFR2CC) is a three-year project.

The project is being implemented in partnership with Mountains of the Moon University, Kabale University, Joint Effort to Save the Environment, and Kigezi Women in Development.

The project goal is to enhance the resilience of the smallholder farmers in Uganda’s Rwenzori and Kigezi highland regions to climate change through joint learning, capacity building, and the development and implementation of context-specific water management solutions.

The project objectives are;  Develop and implement a multi-stakeholder driven community-embedded interdisciplinary Master’s programme in Water Resources; Develop and implement a participatory gender-sensitive research agenda to guide participatory action-oriented research aimed at addressing on-farm water management challenges; Participatory co-development, testing, and evaluation of farm water management innovations suitable in the local context and Foster water knowledge to bridge the gap between science, policy, and practice.

The launch was attended by various stakeholders including; the Mountains of the Moon University team, Representatives from the Ministry of Water and Environment, the Fort Portal Office-(AWMZ), the Kabarole District Natural Resources Officer, the Fort Portal Tourism City Agriculture Officer, LC chairpersons, committee representatives from Karangura Sub County, NRDI representative, the JESE team, UWA Warrior representatives among others.

Mr. Kahuzo Elkanah, the LCIII Chairperson of Karangura Sub County thanked development partners for extending services near the community members and pledged his support throughout the project implementation. “We need to have a mechanism in place to address environmental degradation.   “We promise to work together with JESE, MMU, and other partners to ensure that the project is a success to benefit our communities.” Elkanah said

“We have to ensure that we protect the natural resources. Unless everyone puts it at heart to protect the natural resources, we won’t progress.” He concludes.