Strengthening Urban Refugee Resilience through Climate Smart Livelihoods Initiative in Nairobi and Kampala

Urban refugees and vulnerable host communities in East Africa face significant challenges accessing economic opportunities, threatening their livelihoods and economic stability. These challenges are increasingly exacerbated by climate-related risks, including floods, heat stress, and environmental degradation. 

Through the Re:BUiLD (Refugees in East Africa: Boosting Urban Innovations for Livelihood’s Development) program, the International Rescue Committee (IRC), with support from the IKEA Foundation, is strengthening climate resilience in Kampala, Uganda, and Nairobi, Kenya by integrating climate-smart approaches into urban livelihoods programming.

Working in partnership with city authorities, local businesses, government agencies, community-based organizations, and refugee-led organizations, Re:BUiLD is recognizing that improving economic inclusion and building climate resilience needed to go hand in hand. By promoting green and climate-resilient livelihoods, the program supported refugees and host community members to adapt to climate shocks, reduce environmental harm, and contribute to more sustainable urban economies.

Climate-Resilient Livelihoods in Kampala and Nairobi

Re:BUiLD's climate-resilient livelihoods work has been implemented in Kampala, Uganda, and Nairobi, Kenya, adapting livelihood opportunities to the needs and realities of urban communities.

In Kampala, Re:BUiLD is working in partnership with the Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) to enhance refugee integration and service delivery, with a strong focus on access to livelihoods for refugees and vulnerable host communities. Building on this collaboration, Re:BUiLD and KCCA, are implementing a climate-smart livelihoods initiative across Makindye, Nakawa, and Kawempe Divisions equipping refugees and vulnerable host communities with skills resources and market linkages to engage in environmentally sustainable income-generating activities. The initiative supports the development of two climate-smart enterprises: briquette production and mushroom farming. Beyond livelihoods, the project has promoted social cohesion through joint economic activities while strengthening refugee inclusion through advocacy and policy engagement.

https://nilepost.co.ug/climate-resilient-pathways/197490

In Nairobi, Re:BUiLD operated in refugee-concentrated neighborhoods where climate risks such as flooding, poor waste management, and energy insecurity disproportionately affect low-income residents. The program supported refugees and host community youth to access climate-resilient livelihood pathways within the green economy, including renewable energy, waste recycling, circular economy enterprises, and climate-smart urban agriculture. These interventions responded directly to Nairobi’s climate challenges while creating viable employment and self-employment opportunities. 

Across both cities, Re:BUiLD is implementing activities through strong partnerships with city authorities, community-based organizations, and the private sector, ensuring that climate resilience efforts are locally grounded, inclusive, and market-driven. 

Sustainable and Green Livelihood Pathways 

Re:BUiLD is promoting climate-smart livelihood pathways that are environmentally sustainable, economically viable, and accessible to urban refugees and host community members. 

In Kampala, the program is focusing on: 

• Mushroom cultivation, using agricultural waste such as coffee husks and cotton husks  to produce a high-value, nutritious food product. 

• Briquette manufacturing, which repurposes biomass waste into cleaner, low-cost cooking fuel alternatives. 

These pathways are selected based on their suitability for implementation in Kampala’s urban context, where access to land and production space is often limited. They require minimal space, offer relatively quick returns on investment through the production of high-demand products such as mushrooms, and align with the existing knowledge, preferences, and cultural practices of both refugee and host community populations. As such, they present viable and sustainable opportunities for enhancing household incomes and economic self-reliance.

In Nairobi, Re:BUiLD is prioritizing green economy pathways including: 

• Solar energy installation and maintenance, expanding access to clean energy in underserved neighborhoods.

• Electronic repair and e-waste recycling, turning discarded electronics into income while reducing environmental pollution. 

• Circular economic initiatives, such as textile upcycling, plastic and organic waste recycling, and sustainable urban production. 

Together, these pathways are demonstrating how climate action can be a driver of employment creation while contributing to cleaner, safer urban environments. 

2026 Progress - Expanding Climate-Smart Livelihoods in Kampala

Results and Learning from Earlier Implementation 

In Kampala, early results from climate-smart livelihood groups showed promising income potential. Mushroom production groups recorded cumulative sales of UGX 4,293,300 (€1,020), while briquette production groups recorded cumulative sales of UGX 2,083,000 (€495) who have gained access to local markets. Continuous mentorship was provided on governance, group dynamics, financial management, and sustainability. 

Across the Climate Resilience portfolio, cumulative production and revenue demonstrated the economic viability of climate-smart livelihoods:

In Nairobi, program monitoring showed that a high proportion of participants trained in green livelihood pathways actively engaged in income-generating activities, either through employment or self-employment. These outcomes reflected the effectiveness of market-driven, climate-resilient livelihood approaches in dense urban settings.

From Climate-Smart Livelihoods to Resilient Urban Economies

Re:BUiLD is building on lessons from earlier climate-smart livelihoods programming to strengthen sustainable economic opportunities for refugees and vulnerable host communities. The current phase focuses on strengthening viable groups, improving technical and enterprise capacity, connecting groups to appropriate markets and services, and providing continued mentorship and support.

Through its partnership with KCCA and other stakeholders, Re:BUiLD is exploring ways to connect climate resilience, economic inclusion and sustainable urban development.