Taking Action for Nature: East Africa’s Call to Transform Agrifood Systems for Biodiversity

 

Smallholder farmers promote agrifood systems for biodiversity (📷JEEP)

As Food and Agriculture Day approaches at UN Biodiversity COP17 in Armenia, East Africa offers a powerful lesson: protecting biodiversity begins with how we grow food, manage land and sustain rural livelihoods.

Across East Africa, a failed harvest is rarely just a farming problem. After prolonged dry spells in some areas, the region faces the prospect of unusually heavy October–December 2026 rains linked to a strengthening El Niño, increasing the risk of flooding, landslides, and crop losses. The IGAD Climate Prediction and Applications Centre (ICPAC, 2026) forecasts wetter-than-normal conditions across much of the Greater Horn of Africa, including parts of the Lake Victoria Basin. These contrasting climate pressures expose a deeper vulnerability: when soils are degraded, wetlands are encroached upon, forests are lost, and indigenous crop varieties are neglected, communities become less resilient to both drought and excessive rainfall. East Africa’s food security depends not only on what farmers produce, but also on how effectively they protect and restore the biodiversity and ecosystems that sustain production.

Imagine a smallholder farmer in Uganda preparing for another unpredictable growing season. The survival of the farm depends not only on seeds, rainfall and markets, but also on pollinators, healthy soils, indigenous crops, nearby trees and reliable water sources. These natural assets are the often-overlooked foundations of East Africa’s agrifood systems—and protecting them is essential to building resilient livelihoods in a changing climate.

“We need reliable water for our coffee, maize and other crops, affordable energy to preserve what we harvest, and healthy soils to keep our farms productive. Solar power - which needs to be scaled up- can help us irrigate, dry, and safely store our produce, but as communities, we must also protect the wetlands, trees and water sources that sustain our livelihoods. This is challenging”, Ssendiwala Moses, Chairperson - Bulerejje Agribusiness Cooperative Society Limited in Muduuma Sub-county (Mpigi district) noted in a recent multi-stakeholder review meeting.

The Kunming–Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (KMGBF) recognises the urgency of reversing biodiversity loss. Target 10 calls for the sustainable management of agriculture, aquaculture, fisheries and forestry through biodiversity-friendly practices, while Target 11 emphasises restoring and maintaining nature’s contributions to people, including water regulation, soil health and protection against natural hazards (CBD, 2022). The challenge is translating these commitments into measurable results on the ground.

For East Africa, this means moving beyond agricultural models that prioritise short-term production at the expense of ecological health. Farmers can restore indigenous trees, protect pollinators, conserve traditional crop varieties, reduce harmful pesticide use and integrate trees and livestock into diversified farming systems. Around Lake Victoria, protecting wetlands, riverbanks and fish breeding grounds is equally essential to sustaining fisheries, water quality and the communities that depend on them. Such interventions can strengthen biodiversity conservation, food security and rural livelihoods simultaneously (FAO, 2023).

The UN Convention to Combat Desertification’s (UNCCD) COP17 agenda in Mongolia placed renewed attention on land restoration, drought resilience and sustainable land management (UNCCD, 2026). For East Africa, where land degradation and increasingly erratic rainfall threaten farmers and pastoralists, restoration must go beyond counting trees planted. It should prioritise native vegetation, soil organic matter, watershed protection, sustainable rangeland management and meaningful community participation. Healthy soils and functioning ecosystems help landscapes retain moisture, manage heavy rainfall and recover from climatic shocks.

Meanwhile, as countries prepare for UNFCCC COP31 in Türkiye, agriculture and food security must remain central to climate negotiations. East African producers need accessible adaptation finance, reliable climate information, resilient seed systems and investments in water harvesting, drainage and soil conservation. Climate action must also safeguard biodiversity rather than encourage monocultures or poorly planned land conversion. Integrating biodiversity, land restoration and climate adaptation can deliver benefits across all three Rio Conventions.

Productive use of solar energy (PUSE) offers a practical bridge between these global commitments and action on the ground. Solar-powered irrigation, water pumping, crop drying, cold storage and agro-processing can strengthen food production, reduce post-harvest losses, create jobs for women and young people, and reduce dependence on fossil-fuel-powered equipment. For the UNCCD, solar-powered solutions can support drought resilience, efficient water management and the productive restoration of degraded land, provided irrigation is guided by sustainable groundwater abstraction and watershed management (UNCCD, 2019). For the CBD, solar-powered agrifood enterprises can help reduce pressure on forests for fuel, support diversified and agroecological farming, and improve the market opportunities for biodiversity-friendly products, advancing KMGBF Targets 10 and 11. For the UNFCCC, replacing diesel-powered agricultural equipment with solar alternatives can reduce operational emissions, while reliable energy for irrigation, drying and storage strengthens adaptation to climate variability and extreme weather (FAO, n.d.).

However, solar technology alone does not guarantee sustainability. Unregulated solar pumping can accelerate groundwater depletion, poorly sited infrastructure can damage sensitive habitats, and discarded solar panels and batteries can create new waste challenges. Governments and development partners must therefore combine PUSE investments with water-use safeguards, biodiversity-sensitive siting, responsible equipment recycling, affordable financing and technical training. Linking solar technologies to farmer field schools, cooperatives and local entrepreneurship can help communities turn clean energy into lasting economic and ecological gains. The opportunity is to power not just agricultural production, but a nature-positive, climate-resilient and land-restoring rural economy.

How can implementation accelerate on the ground? First, governments should align National Biodiversity Strategies and Action Plans with agricultural, climate and land-restoration policies, backed by measurable targets and coordinated institutional responsibilities. 

Second, public and private financing models must be inclusive – targeting even the smallholder farmers, women, young entrepreneurs, pastoralists and local conservation groups through accessible grants, affordable credit and incentives for ecosystem stewardship. 

Third, agricultural extension services and farmer organisations should expand agroecology, indigenous seed conservation, integrated pest management, agroforestry and landscape restoration. 

Fourth, communities must help define priorities and monitor progress, drawing on scientific evidence and Indigenous Peoples’ and local communities’ knowledge. 

Fifth, governments, development partners and financial institutions should scale up inclusive PUSE financing and training, linking solar-powered agricultural enterprises to sustainable water management, biodiversity conservation and circular-economy systems for equipment disposal and recycling. Finally, monitoring frameworks should track not only energy access and agricultural productivity, but also changes in ecosystem health, water use, emissions and rural livelihoods.

As delegates gather in Armenia for Food and Agriculture Day on 28 October, the challenge is clear: global targets will remain aspirations unless they change decisions in fields, forests, wetlands and markets. East Africa’s farmers must be recognised not merely as food producers, but as essential partners in restoring nature. By connecting solar-powered agrifood enterprises with land restoration, biodiversity conservation and climate adaptation, the region can accelerate implementation of the UNCCD, CBD and UNFCCC while building resilient livelihoods, secure food supplies and a living planet for future generations.

References

• Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD). (2022). Kunming–Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework. https://www.cbd.int/article/cop15-final-text-kunming-montreal-gbf-221222
• Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). (2023). Kunming–Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework. https://www.fao.org/biodiversity/kunming-montreal-global-biodiversity-framework/
• Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). (n.d.). Irrigation and agricultural water management. https://www.fao.org/land-water/water/agricultural-water-management/irrigation/1/en
• IGAD Climate Prediction and Applications Centre (ICPAC). (2026). The Greater Horn of Africa is expected to experience a wetter-than-normal October–December 2026 season as El Niño strengthens. https://www.icpac.net/
• United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD). (2019). The land-drought nexus: Enhancing the role of land-based interventions in drought mitigation and risk management. https://www.unccd.int/resources/reports/land-drought-nexus-enhancing-role-land-based-interventions-drought-mitigation-and
• United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD). (2026). COP17: Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia. https://www.unccd.int/cop17
• United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). (2026). COP31. https://unfccc.int/cop31

Clean Plates Begin on the Farm

A solar-powered freezer for fish in Kalangala (📷JEEP, 2018)

What if East Africa’s food-waste problem begins long before food reaches the plate?

This question matters as the world marks World Cleanup Day 2026 under the theme “From Clean Plates to Clean Cities.”

Globally, the numbers are staggering. The latest UN Sustainable Development Goals Report says an estimated 13.3% of food produced was lost after harvest and before reaching retail markets in 2023. In 2022, another 1.05 billion tonnes of food were wasted at retail, food-service and household levels. Together, food loss and waste generate up to 10% of global greenhouse-gas emissions and represent enormous economic losses.

But East Africa needs to view this problem through the farmer's eyes.

Imagine a smallholder farmer harvesting tomatoes, milk, vegetables, fruits or fish. The food may never reach a household plate—not because a consumer threw it away, but because there was no affordable way to irrigate consistently, cool the produce, dry it, process it, store it or transport it to a market in time.

That is food waste too.

The UN Economic Commission for Africa’s 2025 review of food security in Eastern Africa highlights the region's exposure to rising temperatures and erratic rainfall, declining agricultural productivity and food shortages. It calls for greater investment in agriculture, including climate-smart practices and irrigation, alongside stronger regional trade.

This is where innovation matters.

Solar-powered irrigation can help farmers reduce their dependence on increasingly unreliable rainfall. Solar-powered cold storage can help preserve milk, fish, fruits and vegetables. Solar drying can turn surplus and highly perishable produce into products that can be stored and sold later. Solar-powered agro-processing can help farmers and small enterprises capture more value locally.

These are not simply renewable-energy interventions. They are food-system interventions.

They can strengthen agricultural value chains by connecting production with preservation, processing, markets and consumers.

ECA has repeatedly highlighted inadequate storage, energy and irrigation infrastructure as constraints to stronger agricultural value chains. More recently, it has called for investment in infrastructure—including energy, irrigation, logistics and storage—to support food-system transformation and regional trade.

The implication is important: we should not wait until food becomes waste to start thinking about waste.

We need to prevent losses where they begin.

That means putting farmers, cooperatives, women and youth-led enterprises at the centre of food-system innovation—and ensuring that they can access appropriate technologies and finance. It means seeing solar irrigation, cooling, drying and processing not as isolated technologies, but as pieces of a stronger rural-to-urban food economy.

There is also a regional opportunity. ECA’s work on Eastern Africa points to stronger intra-regional trade as one pathway towards more resilient food systems. But food cannot move efficiently across borders if it deteriorates before reaching the market.

So, this World Cleanup Day, perhaps we should ask a different question:

How much food could we keep off the waste stream if we invested more in the systems that help farmers preserve what they produce?

A clean city is important. But a truly sustainable food system begins much earlier—where food is grown, harvested, stored, processed and transported.

From clean plates to clean cities, the journey must begin with food systems that lose less.

The Solutions We Need May Already Be Here: Can South-South Cooperation Help East Africa Scale?

Source: imam-us.org

A smallholder farmer in Uganda faces a failed harvest after an unpredictable rainy season.

Across the border in Kenya, another farmer is experimenting with a climate-resilient practice. In Tanzania, communities are testing approaches to restore degraded landscapes. In Rwanda, innovators are using digital tools to solve problems that once seemed impossible.

So why do we so often look outside our region for answers to problems that our neighbours are already solving?

This is the question that South-South and triangular cooperation should force us to confront.

As we mark the United Nations Day for South-South Cooperation 2026, under the theme “Solidarity Rising: Global Alliance for Inclusive and Innovative Development,” we have an opportunity to rethink development cooperation in East Africa.

The region does not suffer from a shortage of knowledge, innovation or capable people.

Perhaps we suffer from insufficient connection between them.

The latest Sustainable Development Goals Report 2026 makes the urgency clear: with the 2030 deadline approaching, progress remains uneven and accelerated action is needed. Yet the report also highlights success stories showing how local action, national policies and partnerships can produce tangible improvements in people's lives.

That should challenge us to think differently about how development solutions move.

South-South cooperation offers a different proposition: countries learning from countries facing similar realities; institutions sharing expertise; communities exchanging practical solutions; innovators accessing new markets; and governments strengthening capacities by learning from experience elsewhere.

Triangular cooperation can add another dimension—bringing development partners, multilateral institutions, technology providers or financial resources into partnerships where Southern countries help define the problem and lead the solution.

For East Africa, this is not simply about achieving the SDGs. It is also about advancing Africa's own development agenda.

The African Union's Agenda 2063 provides the continental framework for an integrated, prosperous and peaceful Africa, driven by its own citizens. It explicitly recognises the importance of stronger partnerships, regional integration and African-led initiatives.

The AU's 2025 Africa Integration Report reinforces this direction, highlighting both progress and persistent gaps in regional integration and identifying reforms needed to accelerate Agenda 2063.

This is where South-South cooperation can become more than a diplomatic slogan.

Imagine a Ugandan district learning from Kenya's experience in climate-smart agriculture. A Tanzanian institution sharing practical knowledge on sustainable land management. A Rwandan innovation adapted by entrepreneurs elsewhere in the region. A successful community-based energy model moving across borders—not as a packaged project, but as knowledge that communities can reshape for their own circumstances.

The objective should not be to copy solutions. It should be to shorten the learning curve.

A solution developed in one country may need to be redesigned for another. What matters is creating pathways for learning, adaptation and scale while keeping national priorities and local communities at the centre.

This matters because East Africa's development challenges are increasingly interconnected. Climate change, food insecurity, ecosystem degradation, energy access, unemployment, water insecurity and digital transformation do not respect national boundaries.

South-South and triangular cooperation can therefore become a practical means of implementation for SDG 17—helping countries mobilise expertise, strengthen institutional and human capacities, diversify development partnerships and advance nationally owned SDG priorities.

But there is a danger.

South-South cooperation could become just another series of conferences, exchange visits, memoranda and photographs if it does not ultimately change what happens on the ground.

The real test is not how many delegations travel.

It is whether a district officer returns with a capacity that improves public service delivery.

Whether a farmer gains access to knowledge or technology that strengthens resilience.

Whether a young entrepreneur finds a regional market.

Whether a community adapts a successful restoration model to its own landscape.

Whether governments become better equipped to deliver the priorities they have already identified.

That is when cooperation becomes development.

So, on this United Nations Day for South-South Cooperation, perhaps the question we should ask is not:

“Who will bring us the solution?”

But:

“Who in our region is already solving this problem—and how can we help their solution travel?”

East Africa does not have to wait for every solution to arrive from somewhere else.

Some of the solutions we need may already be here.

Our challenge is to connect them, adapt them, finance them and scale them—through partnerships that put African knowledge, national ownership and people's lived realities at the centre.

Solidarity should not simply move resources. It should move knowledge, opportunity and solutions.

When a Lake Speaks, Will We Listen?

Boats on Lake Wamala (📷 UCSD)

On 27 August 2026, the world marks World Lake Day, reminding us that lakes are far more than bodies of water on a map. They are living ecosystems that sustain people, biodiversity, livelihoods and cultures.

Imagine waking up every morning knowing that the lake near your home provides more than water. It supports the fish on your table, the crops in nearby gardens, the livelihoods of families, and the stories and traditions passed from one generation to another. Now imagine watching that same lake slowly change—its shores encroached upon, its waters polluted, and the wetlands and forests that protect it gradually disappearing.

For many communities living around Uganda's lakes, this is not a distant environmental warning. It is an unfolding reality.

Lakes are among the planet's most valuable natural assets. They provide freshwater for households, agriculture and industry; support fisheries and biodiversity; and help regulate water flows and local ecosystems. Yet these vital ecosystems are under growing pressure from pollution, alien weed infestation, overuse, land-use change and climate disruption. The United Nations recognises healthy water-related ecosystems including wetlands, rivers, aquifers and lakes as essential to achieving SDG 6, particularly Target 6.6 on protecting and restoring water-related ecosystems.

The urgency is clear. The United Nations has reported the dramatic historical loss of wetlands globally, while the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) continues to warn that freshwater biodiversity is declining rapidly and remains insufficiently protected compared with terrestrial and marine ecosystems. IUCN's work on freshwater conservation emphasises that rivers, wetlands and lakes must be protected as connected systems rather than isolated bodies of water. What happens upstream—in forests, farms, settlements and rivers—eventually affects the lake downstream.

In Central Uganda, Lake Wamala tells this global story in a deeply local way.

Covering approximately 250 km², Lake Wamala is a relatively shallow freshwater lake surrounded by papyrus, reeds and palms. Once connected to the wider Lake Victoria system, it remains economically, ecologically and culturally important to communities within its basin.

But the lake is under pressure.

As the human population has grown, natural habitats in the basin have increasingly been converted for agriculture and other land uses. Deforestation and land degradation contribute to soil erosion and siltation, while domestic waste and agricultural runoff threaten water quality. When forests disappear, wetlands are degraded, and rivers carry increasing amounts of sediment and pollutants, the lake eventually bears the consequences.

Behind these environmental trends are real people: the fisher wondering whether tomorrow's catch will be enough; the farmer whose livelihood depends on productive land and reliable water; the young person growing up without experiencing the lake as previous generations did; and the local leader struggling to balance environmental protection with the immediate needs of a growing population.

This is where IUCN's approach to freshwater conservation offers an important lesson. Protecting a lake cannot mean focusing only on the water itself. It requires an integrated approach that considers the entire catchment, biodiversity, livelihoods and the people whose daily decisions shape the ecosystem.

For Lake Wamala, this means restoring degraded forests and wetlands, promoting sustainable agriculture, reducing pollution, strengthening waste management and supporting communities to participate meaningfully in decisions about the lake's future. Conservation must work with communities, not against them.

On this World Lake Day, Lake Wamala reminds us that when a lake is degraded, it is not nature alone that suffers. Communities can lose food, livelihoods, biodiversity, cultural heritage and resilience to climate shocks.

Protecting Lake Wamala cannot be achieved through policies and projects designed far from its shores alone. Lasting change must also rise from the communities who live with, depend on and understand the lake every day. Farmers, fishers, women, young people, cultural leaders and local community organisations must be empowered to lead restoration, protect wetlands and forests, reduce pollution and promote sustainable livelihoods.

Local governments (in Mpigi, Mubende, Gomba, Mityana, and Kassanda), civil society, researchers and development partners should listen, provide support and create space for these locally driven solutions to grow. The future of Lake Wamala will not be secured from the top down alone; it must be protected from the bottom up, one community, one shoreline and one action at a time.

Lake Wamala's recovery must begin with the people closest to its waters because when communities lead, restoration can take root and last.

Relevant references:

• United Nations, Sustainable Development Goal 6 and Target 6.6;
• IUCN, freshwater biodiversity and conservation documentation;
• IUCN Global Standard for Nature-based Solutions;
• Living Lakes Network, Lake Wamala.

Different Contexts, Common Aspirations: East Africa’s Youth and the Climate Challenge

Young people after a green skills training in Nebbi, 2022 (📷JEEP)

When the rains finally came, Amina did not celebrate.

The 20-year-old from the Mount Elgon region in Eastern Uganda had watched the skies for weeks, hoping the rain would rescue her family’s small farm. Instead, intense rainfall flooded fields, farmlands, damaged a nearby road and disrupted classes at her college. Her family’s income was suddenly uncertain, and the future she had been planning felt less predictable.

Across the border in Kenya, another young person might be worrying about drought. In Ethiopia, a young farmer may be confronting water scarcity. In Rwanda, a youth-led environmental group may be restoring a degraded wetland. Different places. Different experiences. Yet beneath these differences lies something remarkably similar: the desire for a secure livelihood, quality education, good health, dignity, participation and a future worth looking forward to.

That is the spirit behind International Youth Day 2026, observed on 12 August under the theme “Different Contexts, Common Aspirations.” The theme recognises that young people live in very different circumstances, but their fundamental aspirations cross borders and economic divides.

For East Africa’s young population, climate change makes these aspirations increasingly difficult to achieve. Climate shocks can disrupt education, livelihoods, housing, water and essential services. UNICEF has warned of the multiple and overlapping climate hazards confronting children and young people across Eastern and Southern Africa.

The consequences are not only physical or economic. Climate-related uncertainty, displacement, insecurity and loss of livelihoods can also weigh heavily on young people’s mental well-being. The 2025 World Youth Report on Youth Mental Health and Well-being identifies environmental crises and climate change among the wider pressures contributing to psychological distress, while highlighting the need for stronger, accessible support systems.

This is where the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) provide a useful lens. Climate action is not an isolated environmental issue; it is directly connected to SDG 13 on Climate Action, SDG 3 on Good Health and Well-being, SDG 4 on Quality Education, and SDG 8 on Decent Work and Economic Growth. For young people, these goals are not abstract targets - they are about whether they can study, earn a living, stay healthy and imagine a future in which they can thrive.

So, what should East African governments do?

First, make young people partners, not just beneficiaries of climate policy. Youth should have meaningful seats in climate planning, adaptation programmes, disaster-risk management and local development decisions. This would also advance the spirit of SDG 16, which calls for inclusive and participatory institutions.

Second, invest in climate-resilient livelihoods and green jobs. Young people need pathways into renewable energy, sustainable agriculture, ecosystem restoration, climate information services and circular economies. Climate action can become an employment and entrepreneurship opportunity rather than simply another source of anxiety.

Third, strengthen early warning and climate information systems. Warnings must reach young people and the communities around them in formats and languages they can understand and act upon. Schools, universities, youth organisations and digital platforms can become powerful channels for anticipatory action.

Fourth, integrate mental health into climate adaptation. Governments should expand accessible, youth-friendly psychosocial support through schools, health facilities and community services, particularly in areas repeatedly affected by floods, droughts, displacement and conflict. Climate resilience must include emotional and social resilience.

Finally, governments must invest in youth-led solutions. Young people are already innovating, organising and building enterprises in response to environmental challenges. The task is to remove barriers, provide finance and skills, and create platforms where their ideas can influence policy.

International Youth Day2026 should therefore be more than a celebration. It should be a moment of accountability.

East Africa’s young people may live in different contexts, but their aspirations are common.

The call to action is simple: listen to young people, invest in their ideas, protect their well-being, and give them a meaningful role in building a climate-resilient East Africa. Delivering on their aspirations is also central to delivering on the promise of the SDGs—and ensuring that the 2030 Agenda leaves no young person behind.

Before the Storm: Turning Climate Information into Early Action to Save Lives and Protect Livelihoods in East Africa

Humanitarian staff and local communities comb through muddy soils after one of the landslides in Bududa, Mount Elgon region in Uganda. (📷Moses Mukhobeh)

The High Cost of Waiting

When the rains finally arrived in late 2023, many communities across East Africa welcomed them with relief after months of prolonged drought. But that relief quickly turned into despair. Rivers burst their banks, roads disappeared under floodwaters, homes collapsed, crops were washed away, livestock perished, and families were displaced. According to the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO, 2024), the 2023–2024 El Niño event triggered widespread flooding and humanitarian crises across Eastern Africa, highlighting the vulnerability of millions of people whose lives and livelihoods depend on climate-sensitive sectors.

The human suffering was matched by a heavy economic toll. Nearly one million people across Burundi, Kenya, Somalia and Tanzania were affected by severe flooding during the peak of the event (UNICEF, 2024). 

In Tanzania alone, El Niño-related floods caused an estimated US$69 million in crop losses and US$62 million in livestock losses—more than US$130 million in direct agricultural damages (FAO, WFP, & Government of Tanzania, 2024). 

Across Kenya, governments spent billions of Kenyan shillings repairing damaged roads, bridges, schools and public infrastructure, while businesses and farming households suffered significant losses. 

More broadly, climate-related disasters cost African countries between 2 and 5 percent of GDP annually, with some governments spending up to 9 percent of their national budgets responding to climate shocks (WMO, 2024). These figures demonstrate that investing in early warning systems is far less expensive than rebuilding after disasters.

Another El Niño Is on the Horizon

Today, East Africa once again faces an uncertain future. The World Meteorological Organization's Global Seasonal Climate Update projects that El Niño is expected to dominate global climate patterns during the August–October (ASO) 2026 season, increasing the likelihood of significant weather anomalies across many regions, including East Africa (WMO, 2026). 

Although forecasts cannot stop storms, they provide communities with valuable time to prepare—if the information reaches them in a form they understand and trust.

When a Forecast Doesn't Reach the People

Sarah, a smallholder farmer in Entebbe near Lake Victoria, still remembers hearing a radio announcement warning of "above-normal rainfall" before the 2023 floods. The forecast sounded technical and distant, so she continued planting as usual. 

Within weeks, floodwaters destroyed her bean and maize fields, and her family sought refuge in a nearby school. Looking back, she reflects, "If someone had explained what the forecast meant for our village, we would have harvested early and moved our belongings."

Sarah's experience highlights a critical lesson: climate information alone does not save lives—people-centred climate information services do (World Bank, 2021).

Making Climate Information Understandable and Actionable

Scientific forecasts must be translated into practical guidance that helps communities make timely decisions. Rather than announcing "above-average precipitation," weather services should advise farmers to harvest mature crops early, pastoralists to relocate livestock from flood-prone grazing areas, local leaders to clear drainage channels, and families to prepare emergency supplies (WMO, 2022). 

Radio stations, SMS alerts, social media, religious institutions, village meetings and local leaders remain among the most trusted communication channels.

Strengthening Community-Based Early Warning Systems

Communities need stronger early warning systems that connect national forecasts with local realities. Agricultural extension officers, community health workers, disaster management committees, women's groups and indigenous knowledge holders can work alongside meteorological agencies to interpret forecasts and support local preparedness. 

Research shows that warnings delivered through trusted local networks are more likely to trigger early action (UNDRR, 2015).

Linking Forecasts to Early Action

Climate information should immediately trigger practical preparedness measures. These include reinforcing riverbanks, protecting water sources, pre-positioning emergency relief supplies, adjusting planting calendars, vaccinating livestock, safeguarding schools and health facilities, and strengthening climate-smart agricultural practices (FAO, 2023). Every warning should answer four practical questions:

• What is likely to happen?
• Who is most at risk?
• What actions should be taken?
• When should those actions begin?

Leaving No One Behind

Women, older persons, persons with disabilities, refugees, fisherfolk, pastoralists and people living in informal settlements often face the greatest climate risks while receiving warnings last. Inclusive climate information services must therefore be accessible, timely, culturally appropriate and available in local languages to ensure no community is left behind (UNDRR, 2015).

Investing in Climate Information Is Investing in Resilience

The United Nations' Early Warnings for All Initiative seeks to ensure that every person on Earth is protected by effective early warning systems by 2027 (United Nations, 2023). Achieving this ambition in East Africa requires stronger partnerships among meteorological agencies, local governments, universities, civil society, humanitarian organisations, development partners, the media and communities. 

It also requires sustained investment in weather observation networks, digital technologies, climate literacy and community engagement.

Scaling climate information services supports Africa's Agenda 2063, advances the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction, and accelerates progress towards the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, particularly SDG 13 (Climate Action) and SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities) (African Union Commission, 2015; United Nations, 2015; UNDRR, 2015).

A Call to Act Before the Storm

The skies may once again signal the arrival of El Niño. This time, East Africa has an opportunity to transform forecasts into action. When climate information reaches every village, every household and every decision-maker in ways that are timely, trusted and practical, it becomes far more than a weather report—it becomes a powerful investment in saving lives, protecting livelihoods and building stronger, more resilient communities.

Rather than waiting for disaster to strike, the region must invest in people-centred climate information services that empower communities to act early. The next El Niño should not become another humanitarian crisis—it should become a testament to the power of preparedness.

References

African Union Commission. (2015). Agenda 2063: The Africa We Want.

Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. (2023). The State of Food and Agriculture 2023.

Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, World Food Programme, & Government of Tanzania. (2024). Post-El Niño Rapid Agricultural Damage and Needs Assessment, Tanzania.

United Nations. (2015). Transforming our World: The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

United Nations. (2023). Early Warnings for All: Executive Action Plan 2023–2027.

United Nations Children's Fund. (2024). Eastern and Southern Africa Humanitarian Situation Report: El Niño Floods.

United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction. (2015). Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015–2030.

World Bank. (2021). Climate Risk Country Profiles and Climate Information Services.

World Meteorological Organization. (2022). State of Climate Services 2022: Energy.

World Meteorological Organization. (2024). State of the Climate in Africa 2023.

World Meteorological Organization. (2026). Global Seasonal Climate Update: August–October 2026.

When the Skies Speak Again: Preparing East Africa for the Next El Niño While Safeguarding Agenda 2063

Flood effects in Nakasongola due to rising Lake Kyoga water levels in 2020 (📷JEEP)

Three years ago, many East Africans watched the sky with hope.

After months of prolonged dry spells and poor harvests, dark clouds finally gathered over villages from western Uganda to northern Tanzania, across Kenya, Rwanda, Burundi and Ethiopia. Farmers welcomed the rains, believing that a better season had arrived. Yet within weeks, many communities were battling floods, landslides, damaged roads, destroyed crops, disease outbreaks and displacement. In some areas, rainfall remained below average, highlighting that El Niño impacts communities differently depending on local geography and climate (WMO, 2024; IGAD Climate Prediction and Applications Centre (ICPAC), 2024).

Those experiences should not be forgotten.

The World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) indicates that El Niño is expected to dominate global climate patterns during the August–October (ASO) 2026 season, increasing the likelihood of significant weather anomalies across many regions (WMO, 2026). Although the exact impacts will vary across East Africa, the forecast provides governments, businesses and communities with a valuable opportunity to prepare before disasters occur.

Preparing for El Niño is not only about reducing disaster losses—it is also about protecting Africa's long-term development ambitions. The African Union's Agenda 2063: The Africa We Want envisions "a prosperous Africa based on inclusive growth and sustainable development." Yet climate extremes continue to threaten food systems, public health, water security, energy access and livelihoods that underpin this vision (African Union, 2015). Recognising this challenge, the Africa Climate Change Strategy 2020–2030 identifies climate resilience as fundamental to achieving the aspirations of Agenda 2063 by strengthening the continent's capacity to anticipate, adapt to and recover from climate shocks (African Union Commission, 2020).

For East Africa, preparedness should begin with the people whose livelihoods depend most on the climate—smallholder farmers.

Agriculture employs nearly 60–70% of East Africa's labour force and provides food and income for millions (World Bank, 2024). Communities can reduce climate risks by planting drought- and flood-tolerant crop varieties, staggering planting dates according to seasonal forecasts, conserving soil moisture through mulching, improving farm drainage, and investing in rainwater harvesting. Community grain stores and seed banks can strengthen food security when extreme weather disrupts harvests (FAO, 2024). Extension workers should also ensure that seasonal climate information reaches farmers in local languages through radio, mobile phones and farmer field schools. Protecting agricultural livelihoods today strengthens the resilient and productive food systems envisioned under Agenda 2063.

Energy systems also deserve attention.

Across East Africa, decentralised renewable energy—particularly solar-powered irrigation, cold storage and agro-processing—is transforming rural livelihoods and creating new economic opportunities. However, floods can damage solar infrastructure, while prolonged cloud cover may temporarily reduce solar electricity generation. Communities should protect solar installations, elevate batteries above flood levels, maintain backup energy systems and improve maintenance of mini-grids. Hydropower operators should also strengthen reservoir management to balance electricity generation with flood control (International Energy Agency, 2025). Building resilient clean energy systems supports Agenda 2063's ambition of sustainable industrialisation and inclusive economic transformation.

Health is another frontline of climate resilience.

Following the 2023–2024 El Niño, several East African countries experienced increases in cholera, malaria, dengue and other climate-sensitive diseases, largely driven by flooding and contaminated water supplies (WHO, 2024). Communities can prepare by clearing drainage channels, eliminating stagnant water, improving sanitation, treating drinking water and strengthening disease surveillance. Local health facilities should stock essential medicines and emergency supplies before peak rainfall begins. Protecting public health is essential for maintaining productive communities and advancing sustainable development across the continent.

Water and sanitation are equally critical.

Floods frequently contaminate wells, boreholes and piped water systems while damaging sanitation infrastructure. Protecting wetlands, restoring degraded watersheds, planting trees along riverbanks, desilting drainage systems and promoting household rainwater harvesting can reduce flood risks while increasing water availability during subsequent dry periods (UN-Water, 2024). These nature-based solutions strengthen ecosystem resilience while contributing to biodiversity conservation and climate adaptation—key pillars of Agenda 2063.

Perhaps the greatest lesson from the 2023–2024 El Niño is that resilience is built collectively.

Governments can strengthen early warning systems, but communities remain the first responders. Women's groups, youth organisations, farmer cooperatives, faith-based institutions, local governments, civil society organisations and the private sector all play indispensable roles in sharing information, protecting vulnerable households and coordinating local preparedness. The United Nations' Early Warnings for All Initiative, led by WMO and partners, reminds us that early warnings only save lives when they lead to early action (WMO, 2026).

Scientists cannot stop El Niño.

Communities, however, can reduce its impacts.

The story East Africa writes during the August–October 2026 season does not have to mirror that of 2023–2024. By combining scientific forecasts with indigenous knowledge, investing in climate-resilient livelihoods and acting before disaster strikes, communities can transform climate risk into an opportunity to build safer, healthier and more prosperous societies. In doing so, they will not only protect lives and livelihoods today but also help realise Agenda 2063: The Africa We Want. As the African Union Climate Change Strategy (2020–2030) emphasises, building resilience to climate change is indispensable to achieving Africa's long-term vision of inclusive growth, sustainable development and shared prosperity for future generations.

References

·         African Union. (2015). Agenda 2063: The Africa We Want.

·         African Union Commission. (2020). Africa Climate Change Strategy 2020–2030.

·         FAO. (2024). The State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World 2024.

·         ICPAC. (2024). Greater Horn of Africa Climate Outlook Forum Reports.

·         International Energy Agency. (2025). Africa Energy Outlook 2025.

·         UN-Water. (2024). United Nations World Water Development Report 2024.

·         World Bank. (2024). Agriculture and Food Security in Sub-Saharan Africa.

·         World Health Organization. (2024). Climate Change and Health: East Africa Situation Reports.

·         World Meteorological Organization. (2024). State of the Climate in Africa 2023.

·         World Meteorological Organization. (2026). El Niño/La Niña Update and Global Seasonal Climate Update (August–October 2026).