Last updated: March 2022
Kampala called ‘The Green town’ its capital and the most important city in Uganda. The town nearing the Lake Victoria into the South, depicts both colonial and contemporary architecture and has a population of approximately 2 million people, spread over 21 slopes. The city also has a continuous flux of human capital (caused by the effects of climate change- e.g. droughts, erratic rains) from the country's rural regions which puts a tremendous amount of pressure on the environment, through inefficient resources and unstastainable settlement patterns. As a response, the city of Kampala tried to address climate change mitigation by initiating a large tree planting project in Kampala and its outskirts. (1,2) The plan identified “proper management of urban natural assets” and the planting of 500,000 trees as ways for Kampala to become a lower carbon and more climate-resilient city. One of its desired impacts was “increased green spaces and trees in households for improved health and income”. (3)
Tree 1
https://swara.co.ke/astounding-progress-kampalas-plan-for-trees/
Overview
Nature-based solution
- Grey infrastructure featuring greens
- Alley or street trees and other street vegetation
- Parks and urban forests
- Pocket parks/neighbourhood green spaces
Key challenges
- Climate action for adaptation, resilience and mitigation (SDG 13)
- Climate change adaptation
- Climate change mitigation
- Environmental quality
- Air quality improvement
- Green space, habitats and biodiversity (SDG 15)
- Habitat and biodiversity restoration
- Green space creation and/or management
- Water management (SDG 6)
- Flood protection
- Stormwater and rainfall management and storage
Focus
Creation of new green areas
Project objectives
In 2016, Uganda joined several countries in signing the Paris Agreement. At the national level, the government was committed to addressing the challenge of climate change. The consequences of climate change mean that the city is more exposed to certain risks and disasters, such as floods and heat hotspots as the temperatures rise. At the local level, the city decided to tackle the following goals:
1. To Increase green spaces and trees in households for improved health & income,
2. To reduce disaster exposure & lower costs for risk/disaster management,
3. To build climate resilient infrastructure and aid with carbon sequestration,
4. To enhance biodiversity, trought urban forestry that can pave the way for a return of animals in the city, mainly primates. The return of animals such as primates and other medium sized animals redefines the urban space and can be a practical strategy for living in harmony with nature in cities such as Kampala.
5. The greening activity is part of the effort to build climate resilience in the city, which has been envisaged to have multiple benefits. Green cover would enhance aesthetics, reduce flash floods through increased infiltration, and sequester greenhouse gases.(1,2,3,4)
Implementation activities
The project started in 2016. The team used aerial and satellite images and Open Foris Collect, Arc GIS and Open Street Map software technology. It logged 23 parameters, including tree species, location, GPS coordinates, height, diameter at breast height, crown diameter, and health condition. An audit was conducted and based on it local communities were committed to plant seddlings that were grown in local nusrseries. 25 precincts were audited. The aims is to plant more indigenous trees “for their aesthetic, food and medicinal values and their urban cooling and air quality improvement effects.” (3)
Climate-focused activities
Climate change adaptation:
- Increase or improve urban vegetation cover to help reduce outdoor temperature
- Implement sustainable urban drainage infrastructure (e.g. to make space for water)
- Increase the use of climate-resilient plant species (resistant to drought, fire, and pests)
Climate change mitigation:
- Increase green urban nature for carbon storage (wetlands, tree cover)
- Improve carbon sequestration through selection of more adaptable species
Biodiversity conservation or restoration-focused activities
Biodiversity restoration:
- Restore species (native, endangered, or unspecified)
- Public engagement
Main beneficiaries
- Local government/Municipality
- Citizens or community groups
- Young people and children
Governance
Management set-up
- Government-led
Type of initiating organisation
- National government
- Local government/municipality
Participatory approaches/ community involvement
- Dissemination of information and education
- Consultation (e.g. workshop, surveys, community meetings, town halls)
- Joint implementation (e.g. tree planting)
Details on the roles of the organisations involved in the project
In 2010, KCCA Act was passed by the Parliament of Uganda leading to the creation of Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA). The project was developed by the Kampala Municipality as the owner and initiator. Later on in the project, EU funding was added. (3,5)
Project implemented in response to ...
... an EU policy or strategy?
No
(This project was not necessarly a response to an EU Directive however it is to be mentioned that in 2016, Uganda joined several countries in signing the Paris Agreement. It is also a response to the Adaptation of the “United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change” (UNFCC) (2))
... a national policy or strategy?
Yes
(At a national level it is based on:
National Climate Change Policy, 2013
National Strategy and Action Plan to strenghthen human resources and skills to advance green, low emission and climate resilient development in Uganda 2013 - 2022
Uganda’s Intended Nationally Determined Contribution, UNFCC 2015 (2))
... a local policy or strategy?
Yes
(At a local level the strategy is based on:
KCCA Strategic Plan 2014 - 2019
Kampala Climate Change Action Strategy
The Kampala Climate Change Action Strategy is aligned to the KCCA 5 year Strategic Plan whose vision is to transform Kampala into a vibrant, attractive and Sustainable City. The strategy is also contributing to the goals of the Uganda Vision 2040, the National Development Plan II, the National Climate Change Policy & Strategy and the 2nd National Communication (INDC) and Uganda’s commitment to the Paris Agreement.
(2))
Financing
Total cost
Unknown
Source(s) of funding
- Public local authority budget
- EU funds
Type of funding
- Earmarked public budget
- Direct funding (grants, subsidies, or self-financed projects by private entities)
Non-financial contribution
Type of non-financial contribution
- Provision of land
- Provision of goods
- Provision of labour
Who provided the non-financial contribution?
- Public authorities (e.g. land, utility services)
- Citizens (e.g. volunteering)
Impacts and Monitoring
Environmental impacts
- Climate change
- Lowered local temperature
- Enhanced carbon sequestration
- Green space and habitat
- Increased green space area
- Reduced biodiversity loss
- Increased number of species present
Economic impacts
- Other
Socio-cultural impacts
- Education
- Increased knowledge of locals about local nature
- Increased awareness of NBS and their benefits
- Other
Type of reported impacts
Expected impacts, Achieved impacts
Presence of formal monitoring system
Yes
Presence of indicators used in reporting
Yes
Presence of monitoring/ evaluation reports
No evidence in public records
Availability of a web-based monitoring tool
No evidence in public records
References
1. Smart Cities Dive (no date), Count Me In: Urban Greening and the Return of Primates in Kampala, available at Source link (accesssed 12-03-2022)
2. Kampala City Authority (2016), Kampala Climate Change Action, available at Source link (accessed 12-03-2022)
3. The Voice of Conservation in East Africa (2021), Astounding Progress: Kampala’s Plan for Trees, available at Source link (accessed 12-03-2022)
4. Arponen, Joukje; Mollee, Eefke; McDonald, Morag (2019), Greening the Green City: Selection of fruit tree species in Kampala in public and private space, available at Source link (accessed 12-03-2022)
5.Kampala City Authority (2020), Kampala Green Agenda, Attached, (accessed 12-03-2022)
2. Kampala City Authority (2016), Kampala Climate Change Action, available at Source link (accessed 12-03-2022)
3. The Voice of Conservation in East Africa (2021), Astounding Progress: Kampala’s Plan for Trees, available at Source link (accessed 12-03-2022)
4. Arponen, Joukje; Mollee, Eefke; McDonald, Morag (2019), Greening the Green City: Selection of fruit tree species in Kampala in public and private space, available at Source link (accessed 12-03-2022)
5.Kampala City Authority (2020), Kampala Green Agenda, Attached, (accessed 12-03-2022)
Tree 2
https://swara.co.ke/astounding-progress-kampalas-plan-for-trees/
Tree 3
https://swara.co.ke/astounding-progress-kampalas-plan-for-trees/
Information about this nature-based solution was collected as part of the UNA global extension project funded by the British Academy.