Peak Youth, Climate Change and the Role of Young People in Seizing their Future

With a median age of 15.8, Uganda is demographically the third youngest country in the world. Yet the youth labour under-utilisation rate of 67.9% makes it unlikely that these young people will find decent jobs. Climate change drives livelihoods' precarity with increased flooding and droughts and disrupted seasonality. As agriculture becomes less reliable, rural-urban migration intensifies. Young people have the energy and enthusiasm to develop solutions. Starting from youth experience and agency, this research project investigates how climate change in Uganda is affecting young lives and youth livelihoods in the regions of Karamoja and Jinja. It seeks to: (i) document the diverse lives and livelihood strategies of young people in rural and urban settings; (ii) find out how climate change impacts upon young people's lives and livelihoods; and (iii) identify youth solutions to the challenges they face.