Uganda launches climate resilience project as Nabakooba warns land insecurity threatens food security

Uganda has launched a three-year initiative to strengthen the country’s food systems and protect farming and pastoral communities from the growing threat of climate change, with Lands minister Judith Nabakooba warning that secure land rights will be critical to the effort.

The Accelerating Food Systems Transformation for Resilience to Climate Change in Africa project was unveiled on August 6 during a national inception workshop at Protea Hotel in Entebbe.

The initiative, backed by the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa, the African Union, the Intergovernmental Authority on Development and other development partners, will focus on strengthening land governance while addressing vulnerabilities across Uganda’s agricultural and livestock sectors.

Nabakooba said climate change is already placing pressure on livelihoods, food security and economic growth through prolonged droughts, floods, land degradation and conflicts over natural resources.

“Resilient food systems require secure land rights, reliable climate information, sound policies and strong institutions working together,” Nabakooba said.

Nabakooba puts land at centre of climate response The Lands minister said Uganda cannot build resilient food systems by focusing solely on agricultural production.

She argued that the way land is governed and administered is equally important, particularly in a country where millions of people depend directly or indirectly on agriculture and livestock for their livelihoods.

Nabakooba said secure land tenure can encourage farmers and other land users to make long-term investments, improve productivity, reduce land-related conflicts and strengthen communities’ ability to adapt to climate shocks.

She said the Ministry of Lands, Housing and Urban Development joined the initiative because land governance is fundamental to sustainable development and climate adaptation.

“Our ministry continues to advance reforms that improve land administration, promote responsible land management and enhance access to land information,” she said.

“These efforts are essential for protecting land rights while supporting agricultural transformation, climate resilience and sustainable investment.”

Project targets four key areas

The initiative will assess four priority areas: land tenure security, livestock value chains, index-based livestock insurance and climate-land information systems.

The assessments are expected to generate evidence to shape policy reforms, guide investments and strengthen Uganda’s broader response to climate change and food system vulnerabilities.

The livestock component is particularly relevant to pastoral communities exposed to drought and other climate-related shocks, while insurance mechanisms could provide greater financial protection against losses.

Improved climate-land information systems are also expected to strengthen planning and decision-making by providing better evidence on the relationship between climate pressures and land use.

Nabakooba urged stakeholders to ensure the implementation framework reflects Uganda’s specific circumstances rather than relying on approaches that may not work in the local context.

She also called for stronger cooperation among government institutions, local authorities, research organisations, development partners, civil society and the private sector.

Minister demands results, not reports

Nabakooba stressed that the project should produce practical results rather than simply generate reports.

“The findings from this project should not remain on paper. They should inform better policies, guide future investments and strengthen decision-making at both national and local levels,” she said.

The government has pledged to work with development partners throughout the three-year implementation period.

Key priorities include strengthening land tenure security, improving access to climate and land information, building institutional capacity and supporting evidence-based policymaking.

For Nabakooba, the initiative represents an opportunity to place land governance firmly within Uganda’s climate and food security strategy as the country confronts increasingly unpredictable weather patterns and mounting pressure on land and natural resources.

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