Water Availability and Household Adaptive Mechanisms of Smallholder Farmers in Refugee Settlement Camps:
Insights from Nakivale, Uganda
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.59472/ctjc9s22Keywords:
Water Scarcity, Adaptive Mechanisms, Smallholder Farmers, Nakivale, UgandaAbstract
Smallholder farmers in refugee settlements demonstrate resilience to climate change through localized adaptation, yet inadequate water infrastructure, economic limitations, and weak institutional support constrain their efforts. Despite this, limited empirical research has examined how displaced farmers cope with water scarcity, as most studies focus on host communities and overlook refugee contexts. This study, therefore, assesses water resource availability and adaptive mechanisms among smallholder farmers in Nakivale Refugee Settlement, Uganda one of the largest and most climate-stressed settlements in East Africa. A cross-sectional design was used, involving 384 randomly selected households and 12 purposively selected key informants. Data were collected through household questionnaires and interviews, and analyzed using descriptive statistics, chi-square tests, and thematic analysis. Results showed heavy reliance on precarious water sources, with most farmers depending on rainfall and purchased water, followed by river water, boreholes, wells, and taps. Major challenges included poor water quality, long distances to water sources, seasonal drying of water points, insufficient supply, conflicts over water access, and climate-induced variability. To cope with scarcity, households adopted mechanisms such as rainwater harvesting, storing water, seeking alternative sources, reducing cultivated land, and planting drought-resistant crops. However, adoption of water-saving technologies remains low due to financial barriers and limited training. Community collaboration in water management is also minimal, indicating weak collective action. The study underscores the need for targeted policies and interventions to strengthen resilience in refugee settlements, including expansion of reliable water infrastructure, promotion of affordable water-saving technologies, enhanced community-based water governance, and integration of these efforts into broader climate adaptation and humanitarian programming.
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