Uganda is turning to land governance as a critical part of its strategy to protect agriculture from climate change, with Lands Minister Judith Nabakooba warning that the country’s ability to build resilient food systems will depend on more than increasing farm production.
The government has launched a three-year initiative designed to strengthen food systems, improve land governance and help farming and pastoral communities withstand climate-related shocks ranging from prolonged droughts and floods to land degradation and resource conflicts.
The Accelerating Food Systems Transformation for Resilience to Climate Change in Africa project was launched on August 6 during a national inception workshop at Protea Hotel in Entebbe.
Supported by the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa, the African Union, the Intergovernmental Authority on Development and other development partners, the initiative places land tenure, livestock markets, insurance and climate information at the centre of Uganda’s climate-resilience agenda.
For Nabakooba, the economic argument is straightforward: farmers and investors are less likely to make long-term investments in land when ownership and use rights remain uncertain.
“Resilient food systems require secure land rights, reliable climate information, sound policies and strong institutions working together,” Nabakooba said.
Land security becomes an economic issue
Uganda’s economy remains heavily dependent on agriculture, making climate volatility a significant economic risk. Droughts, floods and land degradation can reduce agricultural output, disrupt livestock production and weaken household incomes.
But climate risk intersects with another structural challenge: how land is owned, accessed, administered and used.
Nabakooba said stronger land tenure can encourage investment, raise agricultural productivity, reduce disputes and give communities greater capacity to adapt to climate change.
That makes land administration not simply a legal or social issue, but an economic one.
The Lands Ministry has therefore positioned itself as a key player in the project, arguing that better land governance can support agricultural transformation while protecting property rights and encouraging sustainable investment.
“Our Ministry continues to advance reforms that improve land administration, promote responsible land management and enhance access to land information,” Nabakooba said.
“These efforts are essential for protecting land rights while supporting agricultural transformation, climate resilience and sustainable investment.”
Four areas could shape policy
The project will assess four areas with potentially significant implications for Uganda’s agricultural economy: land tenure security, livestock value chains, index-based livestock insurance and climate-land information systems.
The work is expected to generate evidence for policy reforms and future investments.
For pastoral communities, livestock insurance could provide a financial buffer against climate-related losses. For farmers and landholders, stronger tenure systems could create greater certainty around long-term investment. Better climate-land information could also improve planning by helping authorities and communities understand where climate and land-use pressures are most acute.
Nabakooba urged stakeholders to ensure that the project does not become another exercise that produces reports without translating them into policy.
“The findings from this project should not remain on paper. They should inform better policies, guide future investments and strengthen decision-making at both national and local levels,” she said.
From climate policy to investment strategy
The minister called for closer cooperation between government agencies, local governments, research institutions, development partners, civil society and the private sector.
That collaboration will be important if the project is to move beyond climate adaptation rhetoric and produce reforms that can influence investment decisions and agricultural productivity.
Nabakooba also asked participants at the inception workshop to critically review the implementation framework so that the project’s interventions reflect Uganda’s economic, social and environmental realities.
The government has committed to working with its development partners throughout the three-year programme, with priorities including stronger land tenure security, improved climate-land information systems, enhanced institutional capacity and more evidence-based policymaking.
For Uganda, the stakes extend beyond climate resilience. As weather patterns become less predictable, the country’s ability to protect land rights, attract investment and maintain productive agricultural systems will increasingly determine how effectively it can shield its economy and rural population from climate-related shocks.
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