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).

Act Now: Combating Poverty and Inequality Is Still Within Our Hands

A woman manually sorts her bean harvest in Mityana, Uganda. Improvement in technology in such agricultural value chains is a step to reducing post-harvest losses, poverty and inequality (📷KEA)

"Overcoming poverty is not a gesture of charity. It is an act of justice." — Nelson Mandela

When Sarah switched on her solar-powered irrigation pump for the first time, she did not simply power a machine.

She powered hope.

For years, the smallholder farmer had watched unpredictable rains and prolonged droughts erode her harvests and her family's income. Every season brought impossible choices: paying school fees or buying seeds, investing in the farm or putting food on the table.

Then access to renewable energy changed the equation.

Reliable solar power enabled her to irrigate her crops, improve productivity and earn a more stable income. Her children stayed in school. Her daughter gained more time to study instead of collecting firewood. The family became more resilient to climate change while reducing dependence on costly and polluting energy sources.

Sarah's story is not unique. Across East Africa, millions of people are demonstrating that sustainable development is most meaningful when it improves everyday lives.

Mandela's Legacy Is a Call to Action

In his 2026 Mandela Day message, United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres reminds us that poverty and inequality remain among humanity's greatest challenges. Rising living costs, conflicts, economic uncertainty and climate impacts continue to widen inequalities and push vulnerable communities further behind.

Yet his message is ultimately one of hope.

Building fairer economies, expanding renewable energy, investing in education, creating decent jobs and strengthening social protection can still transform lives. The future remains within our hands—but only if we choose to act.

That message could not be more timely.

The SDG Report 2026 Gives Us Reasons for Both Hope and Urgency

The newly released United Nations Sustainable Development Goals Report 2026 tells two stories.

The first is encouraging.

Since 2015, billions more people have gained access to electricity, safe drinking water and healthcare. Renewable energy is expanding rapidly, proving that sustainable development investments deliver real benefits for people and communities.

The second story is more sobering.

Progress remains too slow and too uneven.

Extreme poverty continues to affect hundreds of millions of people. Climate change is intensifying floods, droughts and food insecurity. Women and girls still face unequal opportunities in education, employment, leadership and economic participation.

These challenges are interconnected—and so are their solutions.

Why SDG 5, SDG 7 and SDG 13 Must Move Together

The 2030 Agenda was never intended to be a collection of isolated goals.

Its greatest strength lies in the connections between them.

SDG 5 (Gender Equality) empowers women and girls to participate fully in economic and social life.

SDG 7 (Affordable and Clean Energy) provides households, farms, schools and businesses with the power needed to improve livelihoods and create opportunities.

SDG 13 (Climate Action) helps communities build resilience while protecting the natural systems upon which development depends.

Together, these goals create a virtuous cycle.

When women have equal access to productive resources, finance, education and decision-making, communities become more prosperous.

When clean energy reaches underserved communities, agricultural productivity improves, businesses grow and emissions decline.

When climate action supports adaptation and resilience, families become better prepared for future shocks rather than trapped in recurring crises.

Development is strongest when these goals reinforce one another.

Why This Matters for East Africa

East Africa stands at an important crossroads.

The region possesses extraordinary renewable energy resources, entrepreneurial communities and one of the world's youngest populations.

These strengths create enormous opportunities.

Expanding access to renewable energy can transform agriculture, support women-led enterprises, create green jobs, and strengthen climate resilience across both rural and urban communities.

Every solar-powered irrigation system.
Every clean cooking solution.
Every restored landscape.
Every girl who completes her education.
Every woman who starts and grows a business.

Each represents another step towards reducing poverty while building more inclusive and climate-resilient economies.

Mandela's Challenge Belongs to All of Us

Nelson Mandela believed that lasting change begins with collective responsibility.

Governments must develop policies that place people at the centre of development.

Development partners should increase investments that reach vulnerable communities.

Businesses must innovate responsibly and create inclusive opportunities.

Civil society must continue connecting global commitments with local action.

And each of us has a role to play through the choices we make, the partnerships we build and the voices we amplify.

The Time to Act Is Now

The Sustainable Development Goals were never intended to remain aspirations on paper.

They were designed to improve lives.

As we mark Mandela Day 2026, let us remember that combating poverty and inequality requires more than good intentions. It requires decisive action that advances gender equality, expands access to clean energy and accelerates climate action.

These are not competing priorities.

They are the foundations of a fairer, more resilient and more prosperous future.

Mandela reminded us that changing the world is possible because it is made by people.

Today, that responsibility rests with us.

The future is still within our hands. Let us act now.

From Global Goals to Local Lives: The SDGs Through an East African Lens

A Farmer Field School in Bulerejje, Mpigi district (Uganda): Scaling up learning and resilience building is key to addressing poverty, food insecurity and climate change (📷: Kimbowa Richard)

Every morning across East Africa, millions of people wake up with hope—and uncertainty. A smallholder farmer waits anxiously for rains that no longer arrive on time. A young entrepreneur dreams of expanding a business but struggles with unreliable electricity. A mother walks several kilometres to collect safe drinking water before beginning the rest of her day.

These are not isolated stories. They are reminders that sustainable development is ultimately about people.

As world leaders gather for the 2026 United Nations High-Level Political Forum (HLPF), they do so 11 years after the adoption of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)—the world's shared blueprint for ending poverty, protecting the planet and ensuring prosperity for all by 2030.

The newly released UN Sustainable Development Goals Report 2026 offers a mixed picture. It acknowledges meaningful progress across several Goals, proving that change is possible when governments, communities and development partners work together. Yet it also warns that progress remains uneven and far too slow. Escalating conflicts, climate change, economic uncertainty, rising debt and declining development assistance continue to undermine global efforts.

The numbers tell a sobering story. Around one in ten people still lives in extreme poverty. More than 2.3 billion people face food insecurity, while 2.1 billion people lack access to safely managed drinking water. Over 150 million children remain stunted, maternal mortality is still nearly three times the global target, and none of the gender equality targets is currently on track.

These statistics resonate deeply across East Africa, where climate shocks, youth unemployment, food insecurity and limited access to affordable energy continue to affect millions of households. Yet they also highlight opportunities. The region possesses abundant renewable energy resources, an increasingly innovative youth population and growing momentum for digital transformation. Harnessed effectively, these assets can accelerate progress across multiple SDGs.

The findings closely mirror those of the Sustainable Development Report 2026 by the UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN), which concludes that fewer than one in five SDG targets are currently on track worldwide. The report identifies hunger (SDG 2) and peace, justice and strong institutions (SDG 16) among the Goals experiencing the greatest setbacks.

As Professor Jeffrey D. Sachs observed, sustainable development cannot flourish without peace. His message is particularly relevant today. Lasting progress depends not only on investment but also on stable institutions, effective governance and international cooperation.

For East Africa, the message from both reports is clear. The SDGs remain more than global aspirations—they are practical solutions to everyday challenges. Expanding renewable energy can improve livelihoods and strengthen food systems. Investing in quality education and digital skills can unlock opportunities for young people. Strengthening local institutions can build resilience and public trust. Ensuring that women and girls have equal opportunities benefits entire communities.

The countdown to 2030 is no longer a distant milestone—it is a test of our collective resolve. Every policy adopted, every investment made and every partnership forged from this moment forward will shape the future of millions across East Africa and beyond.

The SDGs are not simply global targets. They are a promise to every farmer seeking a better harvest, every young entrepreneur pursuing opportunity, every child deserving quality education, and every community striving for dignity and resilience.

The future will not be defined by the reports we publish, but by the lives we transform. Now is the time to turn ambition into action—and to ensure that no one, and no place, is left behind. 

SB64 Bonn: From Climate Promises to Implementation Pressure

 

At dawn in northern Uganda, maize trader Daniel loads sacks onto a truck bound for the South Sudan border. He has heard the talk in Kampala and on the radio: the mid-year climate negotiations in Bonn, building on the thirteenth UN Framework Convention on Climate Change Conference of the Parties (UNFCCC COP30) “Mutirão Decision” in Brazil. But for Daniel, the language of climate diplomacy only matters if it changes the price of fuel, the cost of transport, and whether his harvest survives another season of erratic rains.

Far away in Bonn, negotiators are preparing for SB64 from 8–18 June 2026 in Bonn, Germany, the mid-year UN climate talks, where technical decisions quietly shape the outcomes of the more high-profile UNFCCC COP later on in the year in Antalya (Turkey). For Africa, these seemingly procedural meetings are far from secondary—they are where critical rules are refined on climate finance, adaptation, loss and damage, and increasingly, the intersection between climate and global trade policy. COP30 held in Belem (Brazil) last year mandated the first Trade and Climate Dialogue to see how these largely siloed policy communities begin advancing a shared agenda.

The central question is whether the Mutirão framework will drive genuine shared implementation—or become another layer of commitments that countries struggle to translate into action, while global trade rules continue to constrain Africa’s development space. For Africa, securing its interests begins with shifting from reactive participation to coordinated influence. Too often, African countries arrive in Bonn with fragmented positions, despite facing shared and interconnected climate risks. From prolonged droughts in the Horn of Africa to devastating floods in West Africa and cyclones in the southeast, the continent’s vulnerability is widespread—but so is its potential for coordinated response.

A more unified African negotiating approach, anchored by the African Group of Negotiators, must go beyond climate texts and engage more systematically with trade ministries and economic planners at the national level. This is increasingly important because the next frontier of climate governance is not only emissions targets, but also carbon border measures, green industrial policy, and the restructuring of global supply chains.

Consider Amina, a solar technician in peri-urban Kampala. Her work depends on imported components, but also on policy decisions made in Brussels, Beijing, and Washington that determine tariffs, technology standards, and market access rules. If emerging green trade regimes are designed without African participation, they risk excluding the very actors driving clean energy access on the continent.

At the Bonn talks, Africa’s key demand should be coherence: climate ambition must align with fair trade and industrial development. That means pushing for international trade-related climate measures to reflect development realities and climate vulnerability, rather than imposing uniform costs on economies that have contributed least to global emissions.

Equally important is the continuity on climate finance negotiations from COP30 (Brazil) to COP31 (Turkey). For Africa, this continuity is not about negotiation cycles—it is about whether climate finance shifts from global promise-making to local transformation. Without predictable, accessible, and concessional finance, African countries cannot invest at the scale required in adaptation infrastructure, climate-resilient agriculture, and sustainable urban systems.

The Mutirão spirit of collective global effort must therefore translate into simplified access to finance, faster disbursement, and greater alignment between climate funds and national development priorities. Expanded pledges alone are not sufficient if they do not reach communities and sectors most exposed to climate shocks.

However, negotiation strength does not begin in conference halls. It is built on evidence and lived realities. Farmers like Daniel, technicians like Amina, and countless small and medium-scale entrepreneurs must be systematically reflected in national positions through structured consultations and regional synthesis processes. Their experiences are not anecdotal—they are indicators of economic risk and opportunity.

Finally, Africa must increasingly treat trade policy not as an external constraint, but as a strategic negotiation frontier. Issues such as export rules for green minerals, local value addition in renewable energy supply chains, and emerging digital trade frameworks sit directly at the intersection of climate ambition and development strategy. Engaging early—before these rules become entrenched—is essential.

As Bonn approaches, Africa’s task is clear: to enter SB64 not as a rule-taker, but as a rule-shaper. The real test is whether emerging climate and trade architectures expand Africa’s development space—or narrow it. Climate action, trade fairness, and sustainable development will only succeed if they are negotiated as one interconnected system, not siloed  agendas.