Enhancing the community resilience to climate change through Integrated Watershed Management Practices in semi-arid and highland regions of East Africa

International DAAD Alumni Expert Seminar
“Enhancing the community resilience to climate change through Integrated Watershed Management Practices in semi-arid and highland regions of East Africa“
13. November to 23. November 2011
Soroti, Uganda

The German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) provides financial means for conducting the Alumni Expert Seminar “Enhancing the community resilience to climate change through Integrated Watershed Management Practices in semi-arid and highland regions of East Africa“ to be held at Soroti, Uganda.

The Expert Seminar is organised by the Centre for International Capacity Development, Universität Siegen and the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, Makerere University. The Expert Seminar is scheduled from 13rd November (day of arrival) to 23th November 2011 (day of departure).

Climate change has affected the livelihoods of many small holder farmers across Africa, who largely rely on rain-fed agriculture and other natural resources. Sustainable Land Management practices are introduced to rehabilitate degraded lands and preventing degradation, increase availability of the water resource and integrated natural resource management.

One major weakness is poor alignment of policies with investment. In addition, the policies and strategies for implementation of National adaptation programmes of action (NAPA) are still under-developed. The low adoption of sustainable land management practices calls for action to design policies and strategies for increasing their adoption in order to take full advantage of their potential to adapt to climate change.

This seminar aims at generating practical, context-specific recommendations of IWM approaches and practices that improve food security and economic prospects while reducing climate-related risks and greenhouse gas emissions. The proposed seminar shall bring together scientists - alumni - working in the field of Integrated Watershed Management, climate change, finance, engineering, geography and social science to identify adaptation strategies in Soroti, Uganda. Specific actions (institutional, policy program and regulatory instruments) shall be designed enhancing the contribution of IWM investments to adaptation and mitigation. Best synergies between water and land resource management shall be identyfied to enhance adaptation and mitigation benefits.