Located in northeastern Uganda, the Karamoja sub-region lies along Uganda’s borders with Kenya and South Sudan and is composed of nine districts (Otim, 2004). Among these are Moroto, Kotido, Kaabong, and Napak, which are among the most populous districts in the region (City Population, 2026). Characterized by semi-arid landscapes, expansive rangelands, and predominantly pastoral and agro-pastoral communities (Agiresaasi and Segawa, 2019), Karamoja forms part of the wider “Karamoja Cluster” that extends across Uganda’s national borders into neighboring countries (IGAD, 2026).
In the semi-arid plains of north-eastern Karamoja, climate change is a lived and immediate reality. It determines when herders move their livestock, whether harvests succeed or fail, how far families must travel to access water, and, increasingly, whether young people remain in their communities or migrate elsewhere in search of opportunity (FAO, IGAD & Interpeace, 2023).
Karamoja has long been described through narratives of marginalization, cattle rustling, and chronic food insecurity (Climate Diplomacy, 2026). However, while these challenges are part of the narrative, Karamoja illustrates a more complex intersection between climate change, insecurity, and human mobility, an evolving nexus with profound implications for development, peace, and resilience (Abrahams, 2021).
As one of the most climate-vulnerable regions of Uganda, Karamoja experiences highly variable rainfall, recurrent droughts, and increasingly unpredictable weather patterns (InfoNile Editors, 2022). Livelihoods in the region are predominantly pastoral and agro-pastoral, meaning that communities depend heavily on livestock and rain-fed agriculture (Agiresaasi and Segawa, 2019), which are finely tuned to environmental rhythms.
Mobility has historically been central to resilience. Seasonal movement across grazing lands allows pastoralists to manage fluctuations in pasture and water availability (Jones, 2014). Rather than being a sign of instability, mobility has traditionally functioned as a form of adaptation that distributes grazing pressure, prevents overuse of rangelands, and helps to maintain herd health.
However, climate change is intensifying drought cycles and disrupting rainfall patterns (Ioupa, 2021). Water sources dry up earlier and remain depleted longer while pasture regeneration becomes increasingly unreliable (Uganda Conservationist, 2026). These pressures strain traditional coping mechanisms and force communities to travel farther and more frequently to sustain their livestock.
At the same time, livestock are concentrated in limited areas where mobility is constrained by insecurity, land fragmentation, or administrative boundaries (FAO, 2016). The result is overgrazing, soil erosion, and accelerated land degradation, undermining the very resources on which these pastoral and agro-pastoral livelihoods depend (FAO, 2018).
Insecurity as a compounding factor
Climate impacts in Karamoja intersect with a history of insecurity. The region has long grappled with cattle rustling and intercommunal conflict, dynamics that intensified in the 1980s with the influx of automatic weapons. Although government-led disarmament efforts have significantly reduced widespread armed violence, localized tensions persist (FAO, IGAD & Interpeace, 2023).
Scarcity of pasture and water can heighten competition among pastoral and agro-pastoral communities. In such contexts, climate change acts as a threat multiplier that compounds already existing tensions and potential conflict dynamics. Reduced access to resources increases the risk of disputes, while insecurity can restrict safe access to traditional grazing corridors (The Independent, 2026).
When herders are unable to move freely due to fear of attack or conflict, they may avoid certain routes or concentrate in areas perceived as safer. This constrained mobility disrupts traditional rangeland management practices and exacerbates environmental degradation (Sadler et al., 2012), leading to a feedback loop where climate stress intensifies resource scarcity; scarcity fuels tension; insecurity restricts mobility; and restricted mobility further degrades ecosystems (The Sunrise Editor, 2026).
Understanding this cycle is essential for designing effective policy responses. Climate adaptation strategies that overlook security dynamics, or security interventions that ignore ecological realities, risk being incomplete.
In addition to livestock movement, other human mobility patterns are also shifting in Karamoja. Repeated climate shocks, livestock losses, and limited economic opportunities are prompting more frequent and longer-distance migration (Eyoku, 2026).
Youth migration to urban centers within and beyond the region has become increasingly common (Ayub, Muhanguzi and Boonabaana, 2023). For some households, migration provides remittances and income diversification, helping to buffer against climate-related losses (Ayub, Muhanguzi and Boonabaana, 2023). For others, it reflects distress, as traditional livelihoods become less reliable.
Cross-border dynamics add further complexity (Adres Digital, 2019). Karamoja shares porous boundaries with neighboring areas of Kenya and South Sudan, with pastoralist movements often extending across these borders in search of pasture and water (USAID & IGAD, 2025). Without coordinated cross-border frameworks, such movements can generate tension and complicate service provision.
Mobility in this context is neither inherently negative nor purely a symptom of crisis (African Union, 2013). It can function as adaptation, coping, or transformation strategy. Policies must therefore distinguish between forced displacement, voluntary migration, and strategic livelihood mobility, recognizing that all three may coexist (World Bank Group, 2018).
The interaction between climate change, insecurity, and mobility has implications for nearly every sector in Karamoja, including the following:
Environment and natural resources: Overgrazing, deforestation, wetland encroachment, and biodiversity loss are exacerbated when mobility is constrained or when migration extends into fragile ecosystems (National Environment Management Authority, 2022). Dependence on biomass energy further accelerates environmental degradation.
Water and sanitation: Prolonged drought reduces groundwater recharge and leads to seasonal drying of water sources (World Bank Group, 2021). Competition around water points can increase tensions (Eyoku, 2026). In temporary settlements or areas with mobile populations, sanitation gaps heighten vulnerability to disease (IPC, 2021).
Health: Climate variability contributes to increased prevalence of malaria, zoonotic diseases, water-borne illnesses, and malnutrition (Kaddu et al, 2020). Displacement and mobility can disrupt access to health services. Livestock movements may also elevate the risk of transboundary animal diseases, affecting both public health and livelihoods (FAO, 2018).
Food systems and livelihoods: Karamoja remains the most food-insecure region in Uganda. Climate shocks, land degradation, and limited integration of pastoral systems into markets undermine productivity and income stability (Powell, 2010). Insecurity disrupts trade routes and access to markets. Over time, repeated shocks erode household resilience.
Infrastructure and energy: Extreme weather damages roads, bridges, schools, and health facilities, limiting access to services and markets. At the same time, Karamoja possesses significant solar and wind potential (Twinomuhangi, Kato and Sebbit, 2021). Expanding renewable energy could reduce reliance on firewood and charcoal, mitigate deforestation, and lower health and gender-related risks.
Culture and education: Environmental degradation threatens sacred cultural sites and customary governance systems that regulate land and resource use (Sebunya and Okyere-Manu, 2017). Climate shocks and livelihood pressures contribute to low school enrollment and high dropout rates, particularly among girls (African Borderlands Centre and UNDP, 2022). Flexible education approaches adapted to pastoral lifestyles remain critical.
Addressing these interconnected challenges requires integrated governance approaches and frameworks. While customary land tenure is legally recognized in Uganda, weak implementation has enabled land fragmentation and privatization in some areas, undermining communal grazing systems which are essential for pastoral resilience (Musinguzi, Enemark and Mwesigye, 2021).
Moreover, the absence of a comprehensive migration policy that explicitly addresses climate-induced mobility leaves policy gaps (IOM, 2018). Mobility is sometimes framed primarily as a security issue, rather than as an adaptive livelihood strategy. However, Uganda has recently taken steps to address this gap through the publication of its national migration policy, which acknowledges the growing importance of climate-induced mobility and seeks to strengthen policy coherence in managing internal and cross-border migration in the context of environmental change (Ministry of Internal Affairs, 2025).
Greater coherence is needed between climate adaptation planning, land governance reforms, peacebuilding initiatives, and development programming. Indigenous knowledge systems, particularly those governing seasonal movement and conflict resolution, offer valuable insights for sustainable resource management.
Karamoja stands at a pivotal moment. Improved security conditions in recent years provide an opportunity to strengthen livestock and crop systems, invest in climate-resilient infrastructure, and promote renewable energy solutions (Stites, 2022). Strategic water systems, climate-sensitive health planning, and policies that recognize pastoral mobility as adaptive can further reinforce long-term resilience (FAO, 2018). It is also important to understand and integrate cultural institutions into environmental restoration and peacebuilding efforts. Customary governance structures remain deeply connected to land stewardship and social cohesion (Namara et al., 2024), and supporting these systems can enhance both ecological recovery and conflict prevention.
The realities unfolding in Karamoja highlight that climate change, security, and human mobility cannot be addressed in isolation (IGAD, 2025). They form an interconnected nexus requiring coordinated, multi-sectoral responses grounded in local realities (Mercy Corps, 2024), recognizing mobility as a potential part of adaptation, addressing land and resource governance, strengthening public services, and supporting communities (Longoli and Iyer, 2023).
To learn more about how the Karamoja subregion provides an important case study on climate change, security, and human mobility, view the recording of our Validation Webinar on the Intersection of security, climate change, and human mobility across key sectors in the Karamoja sub-region of Uganda on this topic which was hosted by SLYCAN Trust on 25th February 2026 in partnership with the Ministry of Water and Environment of Uganda. Featuring keynote remarks from Mr. Simon Longoli, a presentation of preliminary findings from SLYCAN Trust’s ongoing research study led by Mr. Joseph Epitu, and closing remarks from Mr. Francis Opolot (Ministry of Water and Environment), the webinar offers insights on how climate-vulnerable pastoral areas can navigate the nexus and build long-term resilience.
Located in northeastern Uganda, the Karamoja sub-region lies along Uganda’s borders with Kenya and South Sudan and is composed of nine districts (Otim, 2004). Among these are Moroto, Kotido, Kaabong, and Napak, which are among the most populous districts in the region (City Population, 2026). Characterized by semi-arid landscapes, expansive rangelands, and predominantly pastoral and agro-pastoral communities (Agiresaasi and Segawa, 2019), Karamoja forms part of the wider “Karamoja Cluster” that extends across Uganda’s national borders into neighboring countries (IGAD, 2026).
In the semi-arid plains of north-eastern Karamoja, climate change is a lived and immediate reality. It determines when herders move their livestock, whether harvests succeed or fail, how far families must travel to access water, and, increasingly, whether young people remain in their communities or migrate elsewhere in search of opportunity (FAO, IGAD & Interpeace, 2023).
Karamoja has long been described through narratives of marginalization, cattle rustling, and chronic food insecurity (Climate Diplomacy, 2026). However, while these challenges are part of the narrative, Karamoja illustrates a more complex intersection between climate change, insecurity, and human mobility, an evolving nexus with profound implications for development, peace, and resilience (Abrahams, 2021).
As one of the most climate-vulnerable regions of Uganda, Karamoja experiences highly variable rainfall, recurrent droughts, and increasingly unpredictable weather patterns (InfoNile Editors, 2022). Livelihoods in the region are predominantly pastoral and agro-pastoral, meaning that communities depend heavily on livestock and rain-fed agriculture (Agiresaasi and Segawa, 2019), which are finely tuned to environmental rhythms.
Mobility has historically been central to resilience. Seasonal movement across grazing lands allows pastoralists to manage fluctuations in pasture and water availability (Jones, 2014). Rather than being a sign of instability, mobility has traditionally functioned as a form of adaptation that distributes grazing pressure, prevents overuse of rangelands, and helps to maintain herd health.
However, climate change is intensifying drought cycles and disrupting rainfall patterns (Ioupa, 2021). Water sources dry up earlier and remain depleted longer while pasture regeneration becomes increasingly unreliable (Uganda Conservationist, 2026). These pressures strain traditional coping mechanisms and force communities to travel farther and more frequently to sustain their livestock.
At the same time, livestock are concentrated in limited areas where mobility is constrained by insecurity, land fragmentation, or administrative boundaries (FAO, 2016). The result is overgrazing, soil erosion, and accelerated land degradation, undermining the very resources on which these pastoral and agro-pastoral livelihoods depend (FAO, 2018).
Insecurity as a compounding factor
Climate impacts in Karamoja intersect with a history of insecurity. The region has long grappled with cattle rustling and intercommunal conflict, dynamics that intensified in the 1980s with the influx of automatic weapons. Although government-led disarmament efforts have significantly reduced widespread armed violence, localized tensions persist (FAO, IGAD & Interpeace, 2023).
Scarcity of pasture and water can heighten competition among pastoral and agro-pastoral communities. In such contexts, climate change acts as a threat multiplier that compounds already existing tensions and potential conflict dynamics. Reduced access to resources increases the risk of disputes, while insecurity can restrict safe access to traditional grazing corridors (The Independent, 2026).
When herders are unable to move freely due to fear of attack or conflict, they may avoid certain routes or concentrate in areas perceived as safer. This constrained mobility disrupts traditional rangeland management practices and exacerbates environmental degradation (Sadler et al., 2012), leading to a feedback loop where climate stress intensifies resource scarcity; scarcity fuels tension; insecurity restricts mobility; and restricted mobility further degrades ecosystems (The Sunrise Editor, 2026).
Understanding this cycle is essential for designing effective policy responses. Climate adaptation strategies that overlook security dynamics, or security interventions that ignore ecological realities, risk being incomplete.
In addition to livestock movement, other human mobility patterns are also shifting in Karamoja. Repeated climate shocks, livestock losses, and limited economic opportunities are prompting more frequent and longer-distance migration (Eyoku, 2026).
Youth migration to urban centers within and beyond the region has become increasingly common (Ayub, Muhanguzi and Boonabaana, 2023). For some households, migration provides remittances and income diversification, helping to buffer against climate-related losses (Ayub, Muhanguzi and Boonabaana, 2023). For others, it reflects distress, as traditional livelihoods become less reliable.
Cross-border dynamics add further complexity (Adres Digital, 2019). Karamoja shares porous boundaries with neighboring areas of Kenya and South Sudan, with pastoralist movements often extending across these borders in search of pasture and water (USAID & IGAD, 2025). Without coordinated cross-border frameworks, such movements can generate tension and complicate service provision.
Mobility in this context is neither inherently negative nor purely a symptom of crisis (African Union, 2013). It can function as adaptation, coping, or transformation strategy. Policies must therefore distinguish between forced displacement, voluntary migration, and strategic livelihood mobility, recognizing that all three may coexist (World Bank Group, 2018).
The interaction between climate change, insecurity, and mobility has implications for nearly every sector in Karamoja, including the following:
Environment and natural resources: Overgrazing, deforestation, wetland encroachment, and biodiversity loss are exacerbated when mobility is constrained or when migration extends into fragile ecosystems (National Environment Management Authority, 2022). Dependence on biomass energy further accelerates environmental degradation.
Water and sanitation: Prolonged drought reduces groundwater recharge and leads to seasonal drying of water sources (World Bank Group, 2021). Competition around water points can increase tensions (Eyoku, 2026). In temporary settlements or areas with mobile populations, sanitation gaps heighten vulnerability to disease (IPC, 2021).
Health: Climate variability contributes to increased prevalence of malaria, zoonotic diseases, water-borne illnesses, and malnutrition (Kaddu et al, 2020). Displacement and mobility can disrupt access to health services. Livestock movements may also elevate the risk of transboundary animal diseases, affecting both public health and livelihoods (FAO, 2018).
Food systems and livelihoods: Karamoja remains the most food-insecure region in Uganda. Climate shocks, land degradation, and limited integration of pastoral systems into markets undermine productivity and income stability (Powell, 2010). Insecurity disrupts trade routes and access to markets. Over time, repeated shocks erode household resilience.
Infrastructure and energy: Extreme weather damages roads, bridges, schools, and health facilities, limiting access to services and markets. At the same time, Karamoja possesses significant solar and wind potential (Twinomuhangi, Kato and Sebbit, 2021). Expanding renewable energy could reduce reliance on firewood and charcoal, mitigate deforestation, and lower health and gender-related risks.
Culture and education: Environmental degradation threatens sacred cultural sites and customary governance systems that regulate land and resource use (Sebunya and Okyere-Manu, 2017). Climate shocks and livelihood pressures contribute to low school enrollment and high dropout rates, particularly among girls (African Borderlands Centre and UNDP, 2022). Flexible education approaches adapted to pastoral lifestyles remain critical.
Addressing these interconnected challenges requires integrated governance approaches and frameworks. While customary land tenure is legally recognized in Uganda, weak implementation has enabled land fragmentation and privatization in some areas, undermining communal grazing systems which are essential for pastoral resilience (Musinguzi, Enemark and Mwesigye, 2021).
Moreover, the absence of a comprehensive migration policy that explicitly addresses climate-induced mobility leaves policy gaps (IOM, 2018). Mobility is sometimes framed primarily as a security issue, rather than as an adaptive livelihood strategy. However, Uganda has recently taken steps to address this gap through the publication of its national migration policy, which acknowledges the growing importance of climate-induced mobility and seeks to strengthen policy coherence in managing internal and cross-border migration in the context of environmental change (Ministry of Internal Affairs, 2025).
Greater coherence is needed between climate adaptation planning, land governance reforms, peacebuilding initiatives, and development programming. Indigenous knowledge systems, particularly those governing seasonal movement and conflict resolution, offer valuable insights for sustainable resource management.
Karamoja stands at a pivotal moment. Improved security conditions in recent years provide an opportunity to strengthen livestock and crop systems, invest in climate-resilient infrastructure, and promote renewable energy solutions (Stites, 2022). Strategic water systems, climate-sensitive health planning, and policies that recognize pastoral mobility as adaptive can further reinforce long-term resilience (FAO, 2018). It is also important to understand and integrate cultural institutions into environmental restoration and peacebuilding efforts. Customary governance structures remain deeply connected to land stewardship and social cohesion (Namara et al., 2024), and supporting these systems can enhance both ecological recovery and conflict prevention.
The realities unfolding in Karamoja highlight that climate change, security, and human mobility cannot be addressed in isolation (IGAD, 2025). They form an interconnected nexus requiring coordinated, multi-sectoral responses grounded in local realities (Mercy Corps, 2024), recognizing mobility as a potential part of adaptation, addressing land and resource governance, strengthening public services, and supporting communities (Longoli and Iyer, 2023).
To learn more about how the Karamoja subregion provides an important case study on climate change, security, and human mobility, view the recording of our Validation Webinar on the Intersection of security, climate change, and human mobility across key sectors in the Karamoja sub-region of Uganda on this topic which was hosted by SLYCAN Trust on 25th February 2026 in partnership with the Ministry of Water and Environment of Uganda. Featuring keynote remarks from Mr. Simon Longoli, a presentation of preliminary findings from SLYCAN Trust’s ongoing research study led by Mr. Joseph Epitu, and closing remarks from Mr. Francis Opolot (Ministry of Water and Environment), the webinar offers insights on how climate-vulnerable pastoral areas can navigate the nexus and build long-term resilience.
