From research to reality: CLARS team in MUST climate migration workshops
A recent workshop hosted by Mbarara University of Science and Technology (MUST) marked an important shift from research to implementation, showcasing how locally grounded strategies can support communities affected by climate driven displacement. The event also highlighted the growing influence of researchers from the Climate adaptation and resilience strategies (CLARS) project.
Connecting research with real world resilience
The workshop brought together CLARS researchers, policymakers, and community representatives to focus on practical responses to climate mobility. Drawing on insights shared through the CLARS platform, participants explored how adaptation and resilience strategies, ranging from sustainable land use planning to inclusive urban development, can be translated into actionable policies.
A central tool discussed was the PIVOT model, which helps planners determine where development should be encouraged or limited as populations shift due to environmental pressures. By applying such tools in hands-on sessions, participants examined how to manage urban growth while strengthening resilience in both sending and receiving communities.
CLARS research in action
The event underscored how CLARS research is already shaping conversations beyond academia. By featuring CLARS researchers and methodologies, MUST demonstrated how evidence based approaches can guide local decisions in regions experiencing climate stress.
Through collaborative exercises, stakeholders worked to adapt CLARS informed strategies to the Ugandan context, addressing challenges such as infrastructure strain, housing shortages, and environmental degradation linked to internal migration.
This reflects the broader mission of CLARS: to connect global research with local realities, ensuring that adaptation strategies are not only scientifically robust but also socially inclusive and context specific.
Addressing climate mobility through adaptation
Uganda continues to experience increasing climate variability, particularly in regions prone to landslides and flooding. These environmental pressures are driving internal migration toward urban centers, intensifying the need for forward-looking planning.
Participants emphasized that climate migration must be approached through a resilience lens. This includes strengthening local economies, improving land governance, and designing cities that can absorb population growth without exacerbating vulnerability.
By integrating adaptation strategies into migration planning, communities can move from reactive crisis management to proactive resilience building.
A model for collaborative solutions
The MUST workshop highlighted the importance of cross-sector collaboration. Researchers, government officials, and community members worked side by side to co-develop solutions, ensuring that policies reflect both scientific evidence and lived experience.
Featuring CLARS researchers and stakeholders at the center of these discussions reinforced the value of knowledge exchange across regions. Lessons from Uganda are contributing to a wider global dialogue on climate adaptation, while also benefiting from insights generated through the CLARS network.
Looking ahead
As climate impacts intensify, the need for scalable, locally driven solutions becomes more urgent. The work showcased at MUST demonstrates how research can move beyond theory to deliver tangible discussions and outcomes with stakeholders. .
By aligning climate adaptation and resilience strategies with the realities of migration, CLARS researchers and their partners are helping to shape more sustainable and inclusive futures for communities on the frontlines of climate change.
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