Cities of Youth: Youth Climate Migration in Uganda

A market in Kitgum, near Gulu, Uganda

Climate change will become a dominant driver of internal migration in Uganda by 2050, potentially displacing as many as 12 million people within the country.

More than three-quarters of the population is under the age of 35, meaning that climate migrants will predominantly be youth seeking better livelihood opportunities in urban centers.

The “Cities of Youth” project, funded by a 4-year Danida grant, seeks to understand how climate change influences patterns of youth migration to secondary cities in Uganda.

In partnership with Southern Denmark University and Makerere University, the mixed-methods project will assess the impact of climate migration on the livelihoods, health, mental health, and sexual reproductive health of youth migrants, all through a gendered lens.

We will also evaluate the effects of youth climate migration on host communities and urban systems, placing a strong emphasis on capacity strengthening and stakeholder engagement.

Angela Y. Chang
Assistant Professor
University of Southern Denmark

Rawlance Ndejjo
Assistant Lecturer, School of Public Health
Makerere University

Sarah Ssali
Dean of the School of Women and Gender Studies
Makerere University