The Lake Victoria border region, shared by Uganda and Tanzania, faces significant impacts from climate change, including rising temperatures and increased rainfall, jeopardising food and crop production.

Professor Anne Mette Kjær from Aarhus BSS at Aarhus University will explore how local governments address the challenges of ensuring adequate food and livelihoods. The project, supported by Danida with a grant of DKK 9,998,014, aims to examine the effectiveness of local food system governance in the region.

"Many challenges induced by climate change at the agricultural level are unmanageable at global or national scales. They include specific issues like advising small farmers or supporting the adoption of newer, more resilient crop varieties. Through this research, we aim to contribute to how local governments and communities can tackle these challenges. Comparing Uganda and Tanzania is crucial as they encounter similar food-related challenges across a border arbitrarily set by colonial powers," stated Anne Mette Kjær.

The project enhances our understanding of how climate change affects vulnerable communities, how local governments can respond to these challenges, and what actions can be taken to ensure food and livelihood security in a region experiencing one of the highest population growth rates in the world.

PhD student Ane Edslev Jacobsen, also from the Department of Political Science at Aarhus BSS, Aarhus University, will participate in the project. Future PhD student Simon Tangen Søgaard will also be involved.

Additional Information

• Project title: The Political Economy of Local Food System Governance: Impacts on Climate-Vulnerable Communities in the Lake Victoria Border Region
• More details about the project, visit Danida's website
• More information about Anne Mette Kjær
• More information about Ane Edslev Jacobsen