Economic Growth

USAID expands Ugandans’ incomes and assets by diversifying livelihoods; accelerating the adoption of climate-smart agricultural technologies; and increasing access to community, national, and international markets. USAID’s work increases private and public investment in key growth sectors, such as agriculture and energy, while supporting the sustainable use of Uganda’s natural resources. USAID helps Ugandans improve their resilience and nutritional status by enabling them to participate in the local, regional, and international economies. USAID’s work also enhances biodiversity conservation, combats wildlife crime, and improves climate change adaptation.

AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTIVITY AND FOOD SECURITY

Agriculture contributes significantly to Uganda’s export earnings, and over 68 percent of the Ugandan people rely on agriculture for their livelihoods. USAID’s efforts, which closely align with the Government of Uganda’s National Development Plan, reduce food insecurity, improve nutrition, raise household incomes, and connect people to opportunities in agriculture. USAID’s efforts make agriculture more productive and profitable by boosting private sector investment, improving how the agriculture market functions, and increasing Ugandans’ ability to participate in and benefit from markets. This improves Uganda’s agriculture sector and its stakeholders’ performance, while including women, youth, indigenous peoples, and others frequently excluded from development gains.

PRIVATE SECTOR DEVELOPMENT

Growing the private sector and improving Uganda’s business, trade, and investment climates are critical for expanding sustainable economic growth and reducing poverty. Recognizing the importance of improving the enabling environment for private sector investment, USAID engages with the Government of Uganda, development partners, private sector companies, and civil society actors to enhance fiscal, policy, and other regulatory frameworks to attract more private investment. USAID also partners with the private sector to achieve key development objectives that align with commercial interests by improving access to finance. USAID’s work improves the investment-readiness of Ugandan private sector companies, particularly in agriculture and ecotourism, and promotes innovations, such as digital financial services, to enhance existing business models and further improve access to finance.

BIODIVERSITY CONSERVATION AND CLIMATE CHANGE ADAPTATION

USAID partners with public and private sector institutions, civil society actors, and other stakeholders to conserve and protect Uganda’s biodiversity resources. USAID strengthens conservation enterprises to increase their benefits to local communities and forms community wildlife conservancies to establish sustainable sources of conservation funding and better enforce penalties for wildlife crimes. USAID also partners with academic researchers, farmers, extension staff, journalists, and other stakeholders to strengthen the capacity of Uganda’s public and private sector institutions and equip them to better understand and respond to climate change impacts.

IMPROVING RESILIENCE

USAID strengthens the resilience of households, communities, and systems in nine Karamoja districts and nine refugee-hosting districts. USAID recognizes that, as key contributors to the country’s sustainable economic growth, these communities are both a development priority and an opportunity. USAID develops connections between Karamoja and regional and national markets and connects Karamoja and refugee hosting districts with key enablers, such as agricultural extension services, quality seed and fertilizer, improved access to water resources and safe sanitation, financial services, and organized producer networks. These linkages boost participation in local and regional markets, thus diversifying livelihoods, improving incomes, and contributing to growth. USAID implements nutrition and livelihood development activities and connects isolated communities to improved health and market systems. By integrating resilience across our programming, USAID facilitates inclusive growth while sustainably reducing poverty.

WATER, SANITATION, AND HYGIENE

USAID works with the Government of Uganda and other stakeholders to strengthen existing governance structures, operationalize existing national frameworks and policies, and increase area-wide access to on-premise sanitation and water services in rural communities, schools, and healthcare facilities. USAID aims to reach 800,000 people with basic sanitation and 500,000 people with basic water supply by 2027.