The Territorial Approach to Climate Change (TACC) in the Mbale Region of Uganda

The UNDP Territorial Approach to Climate Change (TACC) is currently a pilot study in 10 regions of the globe; designed to develop best practice in relation to land based climate mitigation/adaptation in the form of Integrated Territorial Climate Plans (ITCP). The Mbale Region of Uganda has been chosen as one of the pilot regions, a country with dichotomous systems of tenure. This paper considers the role of land related risks in the development of the ITCP and reports on an initial scoping study based on interviews with government personnel who manage the registration of formal tenure and with tribal elders who determine property rights in customary, informal tenure. The findings are discussed with reference to 1. the emerging UN FAO Voluntary Guidelines on Responsible Governance of Tenure of Land and Other Natural Resources and more specifically of 2. the Sustainable Development Action Plan (SDAP) that grew from a regional Sustainable Development Workshop, 2009 (Reported COBRA, 2009). The paper offers preliminary thoughts on whether the predominant communal forms of ownership can assist in developing constructive solutions within the ITCP and SDAP.