Response to increased environmental degradation and promotion of alternative energy sources in refugee hosting districts in Uganda

The refugee response in West Nile region faces the challenges of a rapid population influx, overburdened services and over-exploitation of natural resources including woody biomass for fuel and construction materials. Presence of the refugee community has increased pressure on natural resources which already face risk of degradation from use by the local community. The situation is made complex due to the high refugee population, with numbers almost equalling the size of the host communities. For example, in the Rhino Camp, refugees have been estimated to form 44% of the human population in the area (GFA Consulting Group GmbH 2021)

• View from World Agroforestry website