CEDRA case study: Adaptation in an urban area: Increasing resilience in a
WASH project in Kampala, Uganda
Background
A Rocha has been implementing a water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) project in the Namungoona
slum of Kampala district since 2008. The original aims of the project were to rehabilitate and protect
3 spring wells, to construct a toilet in the market place, to distribute 210 BioSand water filters to
poor households and to provide sanitation and hygiene education for the community.
However, in August 2009, Namungoona suffered unexpected and unusual flooding. Two people
were killed and one of the spring wells that had been rehabilitated in December 2008 was flooded
and the pipes submerged. Many people were left without access to clean water.
Sentamu spring well, May 2009
Sentamu spring well flooded , August 2009
CEDRA training
In 2010 A Rocha took part in CEDRA training. During the training, participants reviewed the scientific
information and consulted communities as to the climatic and environmental hazards affecting their
project areas. A Rocha learnt that three key threats to their project region were: floods, famine and
drought. Indeed, the region was already experiencing these and the scientific projections were that
they would experience them more.
In gathering community perspectives, it was clear that people knew that floods were increasing in
both their severity and in how often they happened. However, people weren’t aware that this was
as a result of climate change.
After following the CEDRA steps, it became clear to A Rocha that some changes were needed in their
project. “CEDRA training inspired us to increase the resilience of our WASH project in Kampala and
to make it climate proof” said Sara Kaweesa, Director of A Rocha Uganda.
Adapting to climate change
The CEDRA process led to several changes in the project approach. The plans to rehabilitate and
protect the spring wells were redesigned to include bigger drainage channels in preparation for
further floods.
In response to the lack of understanding in the community about climate change, A Rocha held
several climate change awareness hearings.
CEDRA training also highlighted for A Rocha the importance of community participation and
ownership in adapting to climate change and preparing for extreme weather events.
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“We changed the way we were doing things” says Sara. “For example, in our BioSand water filter
programme, instead of constructing filters and giving them out, we provided training and people
constructed their own filters. By helping people to develop the skills to make the filters rather than
distributing ones already made, they will be able to build new ones if they are ever destroyed”.
People in Namungoona slum in Kampala constructing BioSand filters
Wider changes
It wasn’t only the WASH project that A Rocha adapted. After learning about the problem of
deforestation in their region, A Rocha introduced the production of briquettes made from banana
peelings, anthill soil and other materials such as saw dust, clay soil and cow dung in their
Environmental Education programme for communities. This is an alternative to charcoal and
therefore means less trees being cut down for fuel purposes. Several groups of people including
church leaders in the slums of Kampala have been trained. They have also introduced fireless
cookers (made from baskets, old pieces of clothes and paper) for the same purpose.
Training in making fireless cookers at A Rocha field centre
CEDRA also prompted A Rocha to scale up their programme working with children. Sara explains: “In
Uganda over 56 per cent of the population are youth, and 80 of these below 14 years of age. We are
focussing on children more and more, ensuring they are educated about climate change and about
how they need to adapt to climate change. We teach them about the need to care for creation, how
to plant trees and how to carry out other sustainable practices such as sack gardens.”
Another initiative that arose due to CEDRA training was the introduction of ‘Farming God’s Way’
with communities, as a method of agriculture to increase farm yields even in dry conditions. A
demonstration plot was also set up at A Rocha’s field centre for learning purposes.
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Sac gardens established by
children
A Rocha training school children in Farming God’s Way in
Sembabule, an arid area in Southwestern Uganda
The garden in Sembabule at 3
weeks
Training secondary students in Farming God’s Way in
central Uganda
A Rocha field base compound in
2008
A Rocha field base compound in 2010, it now has
demonstration gardens for training purposes.
Increased resilience
The benefits of the adaptations are already being experienced. Kampala experienced flooding again
in the months of August and September 2011, and the spring wells that A Rocha had protected were
not damaged as the drainage channels were able to take the full force of the water.
The BioSand filter project has brought about unexpected benefits. Relationships in the community
were built and some restored as groups of people came together to make and paint their filters in
workshops.
Similarly, the process of developing the adaptations to the spring wells project also led to the
building of relationships, as Sara explains: “One of the spring wells is in a predominantly Muslim
community. As we consulted the community and encouraged their participation we found that
Christians and Muslims could work well with each other. When climate change comes, it does not
discriminate between religions, it hits the whole community. In preparing to adapt to climate
change, community relations can be built.’
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