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Strengthening water security and resilient communities

October 2, 2026

New project in Northern Uganda

Building on its experience protecting and restoring urban wetlands in Fort Portal City, Join For Water is excited to announce a new project in Northern Uganda, funded by the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation.

As the Fort Portal wetlands project approaches its conclusion in October 2026, the new initiative will apply and build on lessons from this work to address growing water insecurity across the Aswa I and II sub-catchments, Lira City and Lira District.

The new project takes an integrated sub-catchment approach, bringing together ecosystem restoration, water resource protection, climate resilience and stronger local water governance. By learning from one landscape (western Uganda) and applying that experience in another, Join For Water and its partners aim to strengthen locally led solutions that protect freshwater ecosystems while improving access to sustainable water resources and building resilient communities.

 

Northern Uganda’s growing water challenge

The Aswa I and II sub-catchments are facing increasing pressure on their water resources. Environmental degradation, climate change, rapid urbanisation and weak water governance are contributing to growing water insecurity across the region.

Between 2014 and 2024, expansion of farmland and settlements significantly reduced natural vegetation and degraded wetlands. Today, an estimated 56.7% of wetlands in the project area are degraded,( source: Scoping study Water Resources Management Needs and Opportunities in the Aswa I and II Sub-Catchments 2024).largely due to conversion for small-scale agriculture.

The loss of these vital ecosystems is contributing to more frequent flooding, declining water quality, unreliable rural water supplies and increased exposure to drought. At the same time, rapid population growth and urban expansion in and around Lira City are placing additional pressure on wetlands and other freshwater resources.

For many communities, particularly vulnerable rural households, this translates into unreliable access to safe water, frequent water system failures, increased risks of waterborne diseases and growing competition over scarce water resources.

 

Field visits, community participation, activities, sand winning -(c) Andrew Aijuka

Working together for water security

In response to these challenges, the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation is supporting a collaborative project led and coordinated by Join For Water, working with Environment Aid Uganda as the local implementing partner.

Key partners include the Ministry of Water and Environment, through the Upper Nile Water Management Zone; Lira City and Lira District local governments; the World Resources Institute (WRI); and the Aswa I and Aswa II sub-catchment management structures.

Together, the partners will work to strengthen the capacity of institutions, communities and water governance structures to use evidence and data for better water resource management and climate resilience.

Key actions

The project will focus on several interconnected areas:

  1. Water governance and planning: supporting assessments, stakeholder consultations and the development and validation of management plans for the Aswa I and II sub-catchments.
  2. Wetland inventory and mapping: developing an inventory of wetlands in Lira City and identifying priority areas for protection and restoration.
  3. Institutional capacity building: strengthening the knowledge and capacity of local governments, water governance structures, communities and other stakeholders through training, dialogue and knowledge-sharing.
  4. Water risk and monitoring: supporting water risk analysis and strengthening the use of environmental, hydrological and climate information in planning and decision-making.
  5. Community-driven ecosystem restoration: working with communities and local authorities to protect and restore priority wetlands, riverbanks and other degraded freshwater ecosystems.
  6. Community engagement and advocacy: creating platforms for dialogue between communities and authorities while raising awareness of water security, wetland conservation, sustainable water resource management and the human right to water.

 

Envisioning success

In the short term, the project aims to strengthen coordination, planning, knowledge and capacity for integrated water resources management across Lira City, Lira District and the Aswa I and II sub-catchments.

In the longer term, success will mean healthier wetlands and catchments, more reliable and sustainable water resources, stronger community resilience to floods and droughts, and more inclusive and effective water governance.

The project will also help translate Uganda’s water and catchment management policies into practical action at community and sub-catchment level.

By bringing communities, local authorities, water governance structures and technical partners together, Join For Water and its partners aim to strengthen the foundations for a future where healthy ecosystems, secure water resources and resilient communities go hand in hand.

Text: Vanessa Thompson

With the support of