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).