Regenerative Refugee Settlement in Nakivale Uganda

This project tests the proposal that those closest to the challenges - refugees themselves - are best placed to create effective, dignified settlements that regenerate the lives of the people who live there and the land on which they depend. 

It aims to showcase localisation in action, shifting power, resources and decision making to local people and organisations. It also aims to demonstrate the value of diverse organisations working together to enhance the regenerative impact of local action so that learnings and experience can be shared between the local and international levels. It is a unique opportunity to combine the many regenerative approaches already tried and tested in Nakivale into one integrated settlement. 

What is an Integrated Regenerative Settlement?

A regenerative settlement includes closed-loop systems that cycle resources back into the environment to build up the capacity of the people and their land. This can include water management techniques that capture rainwater and grey water systems to reuse water, sanitation systems which turn food and human wastes into a resource to feed the soil and growing practices that cycle nutrients back into the soil and build biodiversity. It should make use of renewable energy, local, natural building materials and the skills and resources of local people. Systems should be designed to be maintained by the community to ensure the continuation and development of the settlement. Communal space, including space for livelihood activities, should be planned for and participatory governance supported to help foster the connection of local people and build strong relationships and resilience within the community. 

Description of this project

3 acres of land within the Rubondo zone of Nakivale Refugee Settlement have been allocated to this project by the Ugandan Office of the Prime Minister (OPM). After shortlisting by OPM, 20 households from Rubondo volunteered to take part in a participatory design for a regenerative settlement on the site together with YICE, the implementing partner, and other local groups. After designing the site, householders will help to build their homes and gardens and live together in their ‘village’. The design will aim to include:

• Housing built by local people in traditional styles using local natural materials, adapted where needed to increase comfort and resilience to climate change. 

• Integrated closed-loop solutions for water, sanitation and waste management

• Food growing and livelihood zones

• Renewable energy provision for cooking and lighting

• Tree and bamboo planting

The design process will be informed by permaculture design principles, the GEN ecovillage design process and Sphere Unpacked’s guidance on nature based solutions. It aims to use an action research approach to facilitate a community-led design process that will be documented to benefit community groups in other places.

Project Partners

Community Participants: designers and future residents are a group of 20 households from the Rubondo district of Nakivale who volunteered to join the project after being shortlisted by the Ugandan Office of the Prime Minister and UNHCR. Each family brings their own skills to the project and will help design the site and housing. Each family has their own unique perspective of how the settlement should be shaped to help enable their hopes for a secure future.

YICE Uganda are the primary implementing organisation who will lead this project in Nakivale, hosting participatory design workshops and supporting the community who will design and live in the settlement. YICE provides sustainable and actionable agricultural services to rural smallholder  farmers—especially women, youth, and displaced people. Through innovative solutions and long-term support, YICE helps farmers conserve the environment, improve productivity, and increase incomes, enabling them to build resilient and thriving livelihoods.

Re-alliance will capture and present the stories and learnings from this project in freely accessible formats for community-level use. They have assembled a volunteer reference group, bringing in expertise from those with experience working on the Sphere Nature Based Solutions guide, the Ennead Master Plan approach, participatory design experience and humanitarian emergency response expertise.

Arup is a global firm giving pro-bono technical support to this project. They will develop the plans, which have been co-designed locally, into a masterplan document with design codes, guidance and construction phasing advice. Arup help shape sustainable, safe, inclusive, and resilient communities by pioneering innovative approaches to the built and natural environments, prioritising environmental regeneration, biodiversity, resource conservation, economic growth, and social value.

Meet the core team 

Noah Ssempijja Director of YICE Uganda, Noah will head up the Ugandan team providing oversight and strategic direction and liaising with key local, national and international stakeholders.  

Bless Shimirwa is YICE’s Nakivale-based Project Manager, he will be the main point of contact for the local participants, community designers and stakeholders and support with the participatory workshops.

Naswirah Nalukwago is the director of Basattu Innovations, a YICE partner organisation based in Nakivale. Naswirah will lead on training and construction management. Driven by a passion for community-led innovation, resilience, and empowerment, Naswirah is committed to developing solutions that restore ecosystems while supporting displaced communities.

Rolande Ansiima is the Nakivale Communications Correspondent for Re-Alliance. Rolande, a permaculture practitioner and trainer, is passionate about understanding and communicating the diverse perspectives of the people within her community. She will provide regular updates on the project including videos, photographs and voice recordings. 

Juliet Millican and Mary Mellett from Re-alliance will lead on documentation and knowledge sharing (See Re-alliance team pages for more details). Paul Broeker and Joana Ferro will lead the Arup involvement and technical support. 

A Volunteer Reference Group will Advise the project, bringing in expertise from those with experience working on the Sphere Nature Based Solutions guide, the Ennead Master Plan approach, participatory design experience and humanitarian emergency response expertise. 

Context Photographs from Nakivale