PfR in Uganda encourages civil society engagement in national adaptation planning

Partners for Resilience (PfR) in Uganda late last month hosted a workshop in Kampala aimed at promoting participation by civil society in the country’s national adaptation planning.

The workshop, ‘Civil society engagement in Uganda’s NAP process: Towards effective, equitable implementation of Uganda’s NDC,’ attracted nearly 60 people, including ministers and senior officials.

The NAP process in Uganda has been started by the Ministry of Water and Environment, and the country has submitted its NDC highlighting adaptation with a projected 22 per cent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2030, compared to business as usual.

Workshop participants discussed the progress of the Ugandan NAP, as well as issues such as climate financing and nationally determined contributions.

‘Predictive financing’

“The ministry’s climate change department is open to all civil society partners to engage in the process,” the Minister of Water and Environment, Sam Cheptoris, told the workshop.

He added that PfR was welcome to engage with the department in dicussions on relevant legislation.

The Commissioner for the Climate Change Department, Chebet Maikut, said he welcomed PfR’s experience for the department’s ambition for a “predictive financing” mechanism.

As part of the NAP process, PfR in Uganda is organizing dialogues in sectors such as water, the environment, health, agriculture, tourism, infrastructure and disaster management.

Key PfR messages include a call for communities to be at the forefront of risk assessments and adaptation planning, financial resources for strengthening resilience to be available at the local level, and adaptation planning to be participatory and integrated as opposed to sector-based.

Readiness

The PfR team in Uganda will continue to engage in planning for adaptation and the nationally determined contribution, side by side with work to strengthen resilience in the project areas.

An earlier IFRC and Climate Centre project supported by the Danish Red Cross helped to increase engagement by civil society with the NAP process.

With a high degree of overlap with the climate-smart risk-reduction agenda, National Societies – and in PfR countries their partners in the alliance – are regarded as well positioned to contribute to dialogue on NAPs and highlight needs on vulnerability, risk and exposure.

Efforts in this area include identifying solutions appropriate to local contexts, and focusing stakeholders on the need for decentralized planning and spending.

The NAP process was established under the Cancun adaptation framework at COP 16 in 2010 and its implementation was significantly advanced the following year at the COP meeting in Durban.

The Uganda Partners for Resilience workshop in Kampala aimed at promoting civil society participation in the country’s national adaptation planning attracted nearly 60 people. (Photo: CAN-U)