Resource Recovery and Reuse in Refugee Settlements in Ethiopia, Kenya and Uganda

Resource recovery and reuse in refugee settlements across Ethiopia, Kenya, and Uganda enhance food and water security, energy access, and ecosystem resilience through gender-responsive circular bio-economy innovations. The project, implemented from 2019 to 2023 in six camps and host communities, trained over 3,600 households and reached 200,000+ people. It promoted sustainable practices such as greywater irrigation, fruit and shade tree planting, briquette production from organic waste, and efficient clay stoves. A gender-inclusive Training of Trainers model enabled peer-to-peer knowledge transfer, empowering men, women, and youth as agents of change. Led by IWMI and ICRAF with partners including CGIAR, UNHCR, DRC, and UN-Habitat, the initiative demonstrated scalable solutions for fragile, high-migration landscapes. Findings support replication in other regions facing similar challenges.