IGAD, Kotido district launch innovative project to enhance climate resilience
According to Joselyne Bigirwa, IGAD Uganda Team Leader, the project focuses on promoting gender equality in access to land, a key factor in enhancing climate change adaptation
KOTIDO, April 11, 2025 – The Intergovernmental Authority on Development [IGAD] has launched a transformative project aimed at addressing gender vulnerabilities in climate change adaptation and mitigation.
The initiative, titled “Enabling Gender Equality in Access to Land Resources for Climate Change Adaptation in the IGAD Region,” is being implemented in Kotido Municipality, Uganda; Mandera County, Kenya; and Djibouti.
According to Joselyne Bigirwa, IGAD Uganda Team Leader, the project focuses on promoting gender equality in access to land, a key factor in enhancing climate change adaptation. “The project is already showing results, with the distribution of 5,000 fruit, ornamental, and commercial tree seedlings to seven primary schools, two secondary schools, and one technical college,” Bigirwa noted.
In addition to the seedlings, 100 selected women in Kotido Municipality have received essential tools, including 100 hoes, 100 watering cans, 100 cooking stoves, and 100 wheelbarrows, to support environmental and livelihood activities.
To further ensure sustainability, 10 water tanks, each with a capacity of 10,000 litres, have been installed in communities lacking water storage infrastructure to support tree growth and water access.
Bela Emile Kouakou, Programme and Communications Officer at the Africa Climate Change Fund [ACCF] Secretariat under the African Development Bank [AfDB], highlighted the bank’s support of the African Union’s Agenda 2063.
He described the project as a crucial step in addressing climate change through grassroots engagement, local ownership, and inclusive development.
The project has garnered strong support from local leaders, including Kotido Municipality Mayor, Irar Peter Abraham, who urged women and pupils to actively support the initiative and ensure the survival of the planted trees. “We urge the community to take ownership of this project and make it a success,” Abraham said.
Charles Ichogor, Kotido Resident District Commissioner, stressed the importance of training and sensitising women to adopt clean energy alternatives such as biogas and briquettes. “By embracing biogas and reducing dependence on firewood and charcoal, women can help curb deforestation and its impacts,” Ichogor stated.
He also appealed to development partners to continue providing tree seedlings, particularly fruit-bearing varieties which could help combat nutritional deficiencies while promoting sustainability. “These trees will not only supply food but also contribute to long-term environmental resilience,” he added.
Ichogor further called for the involvement of children, parents, and other stakeholders in environmental conservation. “If young people grow up understanding the dangers of environmental degradation, they will become its fiercest protectors,” he said.
Jessica Ataa, Executive Director of Nakere Rural Women Activist [NARWOA], advocated for planting Kay apples as live fences. “This practice can significantly reduce the cutting down of trees for fencing materials, offering a sustainable and eco-friendly alternative,” she explained.
The initiatives highlighted by Ichogor and Ataa underscore the community’s commitment to innovative, practical solutions for climate resilience and sustainability.
The project is expected to have a long-lasting impact, advancing climate adaptation, promoting gender equality, and fostering sustainable development in the region.
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