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Three-quarters of Earth’s land became permanently drier in last three decades: UN

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1 year ago

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  • Aridity: The ‘existential crisis’ redefining life on Earth

  • Five billion people could be affected by 2100

Riyadh, Saudi Arabia – Even as dramatic water-related disasters such as floods and storms intensified in some parts of the world, more than three-quarters of Earth’s land became permanently drier in recent decades, UN scientists warned today in a stark new analysis.

Some 77.6% of Earth’s land experienced drier conditions during the three decades leading up to 2020 compared to the previous 30-year period, according to the landmark report from the UN Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD).

Over the same period, drylands expanded by about 4.3 million km2 – an area nearly a third larger than India, the world’s 7th largest country – and now cover 40.6% of all land on Earth (excluding Antarctica).

In recent decades some 7.6% of global lands – an area larger than Canada – were pushed across aridity thresholds (i.e. from non-drylands to drylands, or from less arid dryland classes to more arid classes).

Most of these areas have transitioned from humid landscapes to drylands, with dire implications for agriculture, ecosystems, and the people living there.

And the research warns that, if the world fails to curb greenhouse gas emissions, another 3% of the world’s humid areas will become drylands by the end of this century.

In high greenhouse gas emissions scenarios, expanding drylands are forecast across the Midwestern United States, central Mexico, northern Venezuela, north-eastern Brazil, south-eastern Argentina, the entire Mediterranean Region, the Black Sea coast, large parts of southern Africa, and southern Australia.

The report, The Global Threat of Drying Lands: Regional and global aridity trends and future projections, was launched at the 16th conference of UNCCD’s nearly 200 Parties in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia (COP16), the largest UN land conference to date, and the first UNCCD COP to be held in the Middle East, a region profoundly affected by impacts from aridity.

“This analysis finally dispels an uncertainty that has long surrounded global drying trends,” says Ibrahim Thiaw, UNCCD Executive Secretary. “For the first time, the aridity crisis has been documented with scientific clarity, revealing an existential threat affecting billions around the globe.”

“Unlike droughts—temporary periods of low rainfall—aridity represents a permanent, unrelenting transformation,” he adds. “Droughts end. When an area’s climate becomes drier, however, the ability to return to previous conditions is lost.  The drier climates now affecting vast lands across the globe will not return to how they were and this change is redefining life on Earth.”

The report by UNCCD Science-Policy Interface (SPI) — the UN body for assessing the science of land degradation and drought — points to human-caused climate change as the primary driver of this shift. Greenhouse gas emissions from electricity generation, transport, industry and land use changes warm the planet and other human activities warm the planet and affect rainfall, evaporation and plant life, creating the conditions that increase aridity.

Global aridity index (AI) data track these conditions and reveal widespread change over the decades.

Aridification hotspots

Areas particularly hard-hit by the drying trend include almost all of Europe (95.9% of its land), parts of the western United States, Brazil, parts of Asia (notably eastern Asia), and central Africa.

  • Parts of the Western United States and Brazil: Significant drying trends, with water scarcity and wildfires becoming perennial hazards.

  • Mediterranean and Southern Europe: Once considered agricultural breadbaskets, these areas face a stark future as semi-arid conditions expand.

  • Central Africa and parts of Asia: Biologically megadiverse areas are experiencing ecosystem degradation and desertification, endangering countless species.

By contrast, less than a quarter of the planet’s land (22.4%) experienced wetter conditions, with areas in the central United States, Angola’s Atlantic coast, and parts of Southeast Asia showing some gains in moisture.

The overarching trend, however, is clear: drylands are expanding, pushing ecosystems and societies to suffer from aridity’s life-threatening impacts.

The report names South Sudan and Tanzania as nations with the largest percentage of land transitioning to drylands, and China as the country experiencing the largest total area shifting from non-drylands into drylands.

For the 2.3 billion people – well over 25% of the world’s population – living in the expanding drylands, this new normal requires lasting, adaptive solutions. Aridity-related land degradation, known as desertification, represents a dire threat to human well-being and ecological stability.

And as the planet continues to warm, report projections in the worst-case scenario suggest up to 5 billion people could live in drylands by the century’s end, grappling with depleted soils, dwindling water resources, and the diminishment or collapse of once-thriving ecosystems.

Forced migration is one of aridity’s most visible consequences. As land becomes uninhabitable, families and entire communities facing water scarcity and agricultural collapse often have no choice but to abandon their homes, leading to social and political challenges worldwide. From the Middle East to Africa and South Asia, millions are already on the move—a trend set to intensify in coming decades.

Aridity’s devastating impact

The effects of rising aridity are cascading and multifaceted, touching nearly every aspect of life and society, the report says.

It warns that one fifth of all land could experience abrupt ecosystem transformations from rising aridity by the end of the century, causing dramatic shifts (such as forests becoming grasslands and other changes) and leading to extinctions among many of the world’s plants, animals and other life.

  • Aridity is considered the world’s largest single driver behind the degradation of agricultural systems, affecting 40% of Earth’s arable lands

  • Rising aridity has been blamed for a 12% decline in gross domestic product (GDP) recorded for African countries between 1990–2015

  • More than two thirds of all land on the planet (excluding Greenland and Antarctica) is projected to store less water by the end of the century, if greenhouse gas emissions continue to rise even modestly

  • Aridity is considered one of the world’s five most important causes of land degradation (along with land erosion, salinization, organic carbon loss and vegetation degradation)

  • Rising aridity in the Middle East has been linked to the region’s more frequent and larger sand and dust storms

  • Increasing aridity is expected to play a role in larger and more intense wildfires in the climate-altered future—not least because of its impacts on tree deaths in semi-arid forests and the consequent growing availability of dry biomass for burning

  • Rising aridity’s impacts on poverty, water scarcity, land degradation and insufficient food production have been linked to increasing rates of sickness and death globally —especially among children and women

  • Rising aridity and drought play a key role in increasing human migration around the world—particularly in the hyper-arid and arid areas of southern Europe, the Middle East and North Africa and southern Asia.

Report marks a turning point

For years, documenting the rise of aridity proved a challenge, the report states. Its long-term nature and the intricate interplay of factors such as rainfall, evaporation, and plant transpiration made analysis difficult. Early studies produced conflicting results, often muddied by scientific caution.

The new report marks a turning point, leveraging advanced climate models and standardized methodologies to deliver a definitive assessment of global drying trends, confirming the inexorable rise of aridity, while providing critical insights into its underlying drivers and potential future trajectory.

Recommendations

The report offers a comprehensive roadmap for tackling aridity, emphasizing both mitigation and adaptation. Among its recommendations:

  • Strengthen aridity monitoring
    Integrate aridity metrics into existing drought monitoring systems. This approach would enable early detection of changes and help guide interventions before conditions worsen. Platforms like the new Aridity Visual Information Tool provide policymakers and researchers with valuable data, allowing for early warnings and timely interventions. Standardized assessments can enhance global cooperation and inform local adaptation strategies.

  • Improve land use practices
    Incentivizing sustainable land use systems can mitigate the impacts of rising aridity, particularly in vulnerable regions. Innovative, holistic, sustainable approaches to land management are the focus of another new UNCCD SPI report, Sustainable Land Use Systems: The path to collectively achieving Land Degradation Neutrality, available at https://bit.ly/3ZwkLZ3. It considers how land-use at one location affect others elsewhere, makes resilience to climate change or other shocks a priority, and encourages participation and buy-in by Indigenous and local communities as well as all levels of government. Projects like the Great Green Wall—a land restoration initiative spanning Africa—demonstrate the potential for large-scale, holistic efforts to combat aridity and restore ecosystems, while creating jobs and stabilizing economies.

  • Invest in water efficiency
    Technologies such as rainwater harvesting, drip irrigation, and wastewater recycling offer practical solutions for managing scarce water resources in dry regions.

  • Build resilience in vulnerable communities
    Local knowledge, capacity building, social justice and holistic thinking  are vital to resilience. Sustainable land use systems encourage decision makers to apply responsible governance, protect human rights (including secure land access) and ensure accountability and transparency. Capacity-building programmes, financial support, education programmes, climate information services and community-driven initiatives empower those most affected by aridity to adapt to changing conditions. Farmers switching to drought-resistant crops or pastoralists adopting more arid-tolerant livestock exemplify incremental adaptation.

  • Develop international frameworks and cooperation
    The UNCCD’s Land Degradation Neutrality framework provides a model for aligning national policies with international goals, ensuring a unified response to the crisis. National Adaptation Plans must incorporate aridity alongside drought planning to create cohesive strategies that address water and land management challenges. Cross-sectoral collaboration at the global level, facilitated by frameworks like the UNCCD, is essential for scaling solutions.

Comments

“For decades, the world’s scientists have signalled that our growing greenhouse gas emissions are behind global warming. Now, for the first time, a UN scientific body is warning that burning fossil fuels is causing permanent drying across much of the world, too—with potentially catastrophic impacts affecting access to water that could push people and nature even closer to disastrous tipping points.  As large tracts of the world’s land become more arid, the consequences of inaction grow increasingly dire and adaptation is no longer optional—it is imperative.” – UNCCD Chief Scientist Barron Orr

“Without concerted efforts, billions face a future marked by hunger, displacement, and economic decline. Yet, by embracing innovative solutions and fostering global solidarity, humanity can rise to meet this challenge. The question is not whether we have the tools to respond—it is whether we have the will to act.” –  Nichole Barger, Chair, UNCCD Science-Policy Interface

“The report’s clarity is a wake-up call for policymakers: tackling aridity demands more than just science—it requires a diversity of perspectives and knowledge systems. By weaving Indigenous and local knowledge with cutting-edge data, we can craft stronger, smarter strategies to slow aridity’s advance, mitigate its impacts and thrive in a drying world.” – Sergio Vicente-Serrano, co-lead author of the report and an aridity expert with Spain’s Pyrenean Institute of Ecology

“This report underscores the critical need to address aridity as a defining global challenge of our time. By uniting diverse expertise and leveraging breakthrough technologies, we are not just measuring change—we are crafting a roadmap for resilience. Tackling aridity demands a collaborative vision that integrates innovation, adaptive solutions, and a commitment to securing a sustainable future for all.” – Narcisa Pricope, co-lead author, professor of geosciences and associate vice president for research at Mississippi State University, USA.

“The timeliness of this report cannot be overstated.  Rising aridity will reshape the global landscape, challenging traditional ways of life and forcing societies to reimagine their relationship with land and water.  As with climate change and biodiversity loss, addressing aridity requires coordinated international action and an unwavering commitment to sustainable development.” – Andrea Toreti, co-lead author and senior scientist, European Commission’s Joint Research Centre

By the Numbers: 

Key global trends / projections

  • 77.6%: Proportion of Earth’s land that experienced drier climates from 1990–2020 compared to the previous 30 years.

  • 40.6%: Global land mass (excluding Antarctica) classified as drylands, up from 37.5% over the last 30 years.

  • 4.3 million km²: Humid lands transformed into drylands in the last three decades, an area one-third larger than India

  • 40%: Global arable land affected by aridity—the leading driver of agricultural degradation.

  • 30.9%: Global population living in drylands in 2020, up from 22.5% in 1990

  • 2.3 billion: People living in drylands in 2020, a doubling from 1990, projected to more than double again by 2100 under a worst-case climate change scenario.

  • 1.35 billion: Dryland inhabitants in Asia—more than half the global total.

  • 620 million: Dryland inhabitants in Africa—nearly half of the continent’s population.

  • 9.1%: Portion of Earth’s land classified as hyperarid, including the Atacama (Chile), Sahara (Africa), Namib (Africa), and Gobi (China/Mongolia) deserts.

  • 23%: Increase in global land at “moderate” to “very high” desertification risk by 2100 under the worst-case emissions scenario

    • +8% at “very high” risk

    • +5% at “high” risk

    • +10% at “moderate” risk

Environmental degradation

  • 5: Key drivers of land degradation: Rising aridity, land erosion, salinization, organic carbon loss, and vegetation degradation

  • 20%: Global land at risk of abrupt ecosystem transformations by 2100 due to rising aridity

  • 55%: Species (mammals, reptiles, fish, amphibians, and birds) at risk of habitat loss from aridity. Hotspots: (Arid regions): West Africa, Western Australia, Iberian Peninsula; (Humid regions): Southern Mexico, northern Amazon rainforest

Economics

  • 12%: African GDP decline attributed to aridity, 1990–2015

  • 16% / 6.7%: Projected GDP losses in Africa / Asia by 2079 under a moderate emissions scenario

  • 20M tons maize, 21M tons wheat, 19M tons rice: Expected losses in global crop yields by 2040 due to expanding aridity

  • 50%: Projected drop in maize yields in Kenya by 2050 under a high emissions scenario

Water 

  • 90%: Rainfall in drylands that evaporates back into the atmosphere, leaving 10% for plant growth

  • 67%: Global land expected to store less water by 2100, even under moderate emission scenarios

  • 75%: Decline in water availability in the Middle East and North Africa since the 1950s

  • 40%: Predicted Andean runoff decline by 2100 under a high emissions scenario, threatening water supplies in South America

Health

  • 55%: Increase in severe child stunting in sub-Saharan Africa under a medium emissions scenario due to combined effects of aridity and climate warming

  • Up to 12.5%: Estimated rise in mortality risks during sand and dust storms in China, 2013–2018

  • 57% / 38%: Increases in fine and coarse atmospheric dust levels, respectively, in the southwestern U.S. by 2100 under worst case climate scenarios

  • 220%: Projected increase in premature deaths due to airborne dust in the southwestern United States by 2100 under the high-emissions scenario

  • 160%: Expected rise in hospitalizations linked to airborne dust in the same region

Wildfires and forests

  • 74%: Expected increase in wildfire-burned areas in California by 2100 under high emission scenarios

  • 40: Additional annual high fire danger days in Greece by 2100 compared to late 20th century levels

Notes to editors:

Aridity versus drought

Highly arid regions are places in which a persistent, long-term climatic condition lacks available moisture to support most forms of life and atmospheric evaporative demand significantly exceeds rainfall.

Drought, on the other hand, is an anomalous, shorter-term period of water shortage affecting ecosystems and people and often attributed to low precipitation, high temperatures, low air humidity and/or anomalies in wind.

While drought is part of natural climate variability and can occur in almost any climatic regime, aridity is a stable condition for which changes occur over extremely long-time scales under significant forcing.

Media contacts: press@unccd.int

Fragkiska Megaloudi, +30 6945547877 (WhatsApp) fmegaloudi@unccd.int

Gloria Pallares, +34 606 93 1460 gpallares@unccd.int

Terry Collins, +1-416-878-8712 tc@tca.tc

Authors and other experts are available for advance interviews.

The full report, The Global Threat of Drying Lands: Regional and global aridity trends and future projections, is available for media preview at https://www.unccd.int/resources/reports/global-threat-drying-lands-regional-and-global-aridity-trends-and-future

Original Source: unccd.int

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EU delegation praises Uganda’s oil and gas progress amid mounting land and human rights challenges in the Albertine Region.

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17 hours ago

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June 5, 2026

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By the Witness Radio Team

Hoima, Uganda — On May 7, the European Union marked 50 years of partnership with the Government of Uganda during the Europe Day 2026 celebrations in Kampala, attended by EU members, Ugandan officials, development partners, and diplomats.

It’s reported that over the past five decades, the EU has invested EUR 5 billion in development support, alongside a similar amount of European private investment. This partnership progressed to engagements in trade, investment, energy, climate action, education, health, and humanitarian support.

Focusing on sustainable growth of the EU’s support, part of the celebrations involved a visit to the Albertine oil graben by the EU delegation, with several ambassadors from EU countries, to reflect on the ongoing transformations in oil and gas projects in the Albertine region and on the EU’s commitments to its development ambitions.

During the visit on May 19 2026, the EU delegation engaged selected Land and Environmental Defenders (LEDs) from Uganda’s oil-rich Albertine region who are beneficiaries of the Monitoring, Documentation and Advocacy for Human Rights in Uganda (MDA-HRU) project. The project is being implemented by Witness Radio Uganda and the National Coalition of Human Rights Defenders Uganda (NCHRD-U), in partnership with DanChurchAid and funded by the European Union. Besides, the Delegation visited several oil and gas projects and surrounding communities.

The visit concluded on May 20 2026, with a dinner at Hoima City Stadium, attended by Several EU country ambassadors, Hoima Local Government authorities, Hoima City officials, development partners, and Civil society organizations. Addressing the guests, H.E. Jan Sadek, European Union Ambassador to Uganda, noted the large-scale and importance of the oil and gas developments in the mid-western region of Uganda, but also acknowledged the complex social, environmental, and human rights issues that come with such investments.

“The future is already unfolding quickly. Today we were in Buliisa with TotalEnergies and its partners, learning more about one of the largest industrial energy projects in East Africa,” Sadek said.

He thanked TotalEnergies, its General Manager Philippe Groueix, and the company’s staff, praising what he described as their openness and hospitality during the visit.

“What we saw was very impressive in scale and ambition. We visited the Tilenga Central Processing Facility and oil rigs both inside and outside Murchison Falls National Park, and saw efforts to reduce the project’s footprint in the area. These developments are very significant for Hoima and Buliisa, and for Uganda and the wider region.” He added.

Sadek also pointed to Europe’s growing economic ties with Uganda, noting that European firms remain among the country’s largest foreign investors.

“TotalEnergies is not just a major investment in Uganda, but also part of the broader economic relationship between Europe and Uganda. The European Union remains one of Uganda’s biggest export markets outside the region and a long-standing development partner,” he further said.

Challenges amidst oil and gas developments

However, alongside the praise for the sector’s economic potential, land and environmental defenders raised concerns over escalating land pressure, delayed compensation, environmental degradation, and shrinking civic space linked to large-scale oil investments.

The concerns were raised during a European Union feedback and engagement meeting held on May 19 at Miika Eco Resort Hotel in Hoima District. The session brought together land and environmental rights defenders, project partners including Witness Radio Uganda, and European Union representatives to review project progress and assess emerging human rights concerns.

Defenders told the EU delegation that oil-related developments have intensified land pressure in the Albertine region through projects associated with Uganda’s petroleum sector, including the East African Crude Oil Pipeline (EACOP), Tilenga, and Kingfisher projects.

Participants reported prolonged delays in compensation for households whose land has been acquired or earmarked for oil-related projects, leaving many families facing prolonged uncertainty and livelihood insecurity.

“People are being affected by delayed compensation processes. Some have even rejected the compensation, saying it is too low, even though their land has already been taken. When people raise complaints, they face intimidation,” Gloria Mugonzebwa, one of the defenders, told the Delegation.

Beyond land concerns, defenders raised alarm over increasing human-wildlife conflict, which they linked to ongoing oil exploration and infrastructure development in and around protected ecosystems, including national parks.

They said disturbances associated with construction activities, industrial lighting, forest encroachment, and vibrations have contributed to wildlife displacement into neighboring communities.

Environmental organizations such as the Africa Institute for Energy Governance (AFIEGO) have previously raised similar concerns, warning that oil activities, climate change, and poaching are reshaping ecosystems in Murchison Falls National Park.

In its 2024 report, How Oil Activities, Climate Change, and Poaching Are Negatively Reshaping Murchison Park, AFIEGO documented that between 2023 and 2024, more than five people were killed in elephant-related incidents, highlighting growing human-wildlife tensions around the park.

Participants also raised concerns over environmental degradation linked to oil development, including deforestation, forest encroachment, and alleged risks of water contamination in affected communities.

“These developments are changing the natural balance. Communities are now living with increased risks from displaced wildlife and environmental disruption,” Nyakato Hellen said.

Uganda has also witnessed the shrinking of civic space for community land and environmental defenders, particularly those questioning the impacts of mega-development projects.

Defenders who attended the meeting said it has become increasingly difficult to document and raise concerns about land and environmental abuses linked to oil investments.

“As activists, the biggest issue has been intimidation, and some defenders have been arrested in the course of their work,” Mr. Biira Kiwanuka Nassa revealed.

Global Witness reported in 2024 that more than 96 arrests linked to environmental activism against oil development activities in Uganda were recorded within only nine months, illustrating the scale of restrictions faced by activists.

“We used to be arrested when we spoke about violations. We had to demonstrate for companies to listen,” one defender said.

Need for sustained dialogue.

In response, the European Union delegation emphasized the importance of sustained dialogue among governments, companies, civil society, and affected communities.

The Delegation acknowledged that large-scale projects, such as oil development, inevitably raise complex questions regarding land rights, compensation, environmental protection, biodiversity, and human rights.

“These issues deserve serious attention and continued dialogue,” the Delegation said.

The Delegation further stressed that inclusive development depends on communities being informed, respected, and meaningfully involved in decisions that affect them.

“Development works best when communities feel included, respected, and heard. That is why our program has included not only meetings with authorities and investors, but also discussions with civil society, community representatives, and local stakeholders,” the Delegation added.

About the MDA-HRU project

DanChurchAid coordinates the project in partnership with Witness Radio. It was designed to promote the protection and respect of human rights and strengthen access to remedy in Uganda’s Mid-Western and Karamoja sub-regions, where private sector actors are increasingly involved in land-based investments.

Speaking at the meeting, Mr. Christopher Kiwanuka, Director of Programs at Witness Radio, welcomed the EU delegation’s assessment mission, noting that it reflects growing recognition of the documentation work undertaken under the MDA-HRU project.

He said the project has strengthened the capacity of land and environmental defenders to document violations and engage duty bearers more effectively.

Uganda’s Mid-Western region remains among the areas most affected by land conflicts linked to large-scale investments, particularly oil development.

Since the discovery of oil in 2006, the sector has generated expectations of economic transformation alongside persistent concerns over displacement, environmental degradation, and unresolved human rights impacts in affected communities.

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Court Ruling: RDCs and police cannot stop lawful land evictions.

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3 days ago

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June 3, 2026

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By Witness Radio Team.

Uganda’s Constitutional Court has ruled that Resident District Commissioners (RDCs), police, and other executive actors have no authority to stop, suspend, delay, or require additional approvals for lawful court eviction orders, in a landmark judgment that reinforces judicial independence.

The ruling comes amid escalating land conflicts and follows presidential directives that require all evictions to be scrutinized by the District Security Committees, chaired by Resident District Commissioners (RDCs), in consultation with the Ministry of Lands. An RDC is a constitutional representative of the President at the district and local government levels.

Under Uganda’s 2021 Land Eviction Guidelines and Practice Directions, court agents may carry out evictions after strict legal requirements are fulfilled. These include a valid court order or decree authorizing the eviction, an eviction order clearly identifying affected persons or structures, a notice of eviction or demolition issued to affected parties, and a warrant of eviction or demolition.

However, many evictions in Uganda have been criticized as forceful or unlawful, carried out without a proper due process.

In a presidential communication in 2022, President Museveni directed that no eviction should occur in any district without a District Security Committee meeting chaired by RDCs and conducted in consultation with the Ministry of Lands.

But court Bailiffs under the umbrella body, Uganda Court Bailiffs Association, challenged the President’s directive and petitioned the Constitutional Court of Uganda, arguing that even where valid court orders exist, RDC-led security committees have frequently interfered with lawful enforcement.

Court records listed the petition as Uganda Court Bailiffs Association Ltd vs Attorney General (Constitutional Petition No. 0001 of 2023),

The Constitutional Court addressed that tension, holding that enforcement of court orders is not an executive function but an integral component of judicial power.

“The court therefore reiterates that enforcement of judicial decisions remains a core judicial function. Any participation by non-judicial actors must be facilitative only, and not supervisory or controlling,” The ruling, which Witness Radio has seen a copy of, states.

The 2023 petition further challenged what it described as persistent interference by the executive arm of government, including RDCs, police, District Internal Security Officers (DISOs), and local councils in the enforcement of court orders.

According to the petitioners, security agencies had, over time, imposed unauthorized “clearances,” halted executions, confiscated court documents, and frustrated lawful enforcement of judicial decisions.

In its decision, the Constitutional Court distinguished facilitating and controlling court executions.

“Any conduct by executive officials that purports to halt execution, confiscate court process, subject judicial warrants to extra-judicial “clearance” or ‘approval,’ or otherwise frustrate lawful execution amounts to a direct encroachment upon judicial authority and is inconsistent with Articles 2, 126, and 128 of the Constitution of the Republic of Uganda.” The judgment stated.

The judgment, concurred in by Deputy Chief Justice Flavian Zeija and Constitutional Court judges Frederick Egonda Ntende, Florence Nakachwa, and Ketrah Katunguka, acknowledged that security agencies may lawfully participate during sensitive enforcement exercises, including land evictions, particularly where there is risk of violence or public disorder. However, the judges stressed that such involvement must be strictly limited.

“Where the execution of a court order is likely to provoke violence, resistance, or a breach of the peace, security agencies are lawfully entitled to intervene for the limited purpose of maintaining peace, protecting life and property, and ensuring that the process does not descend into disorder,” the judgment reads.

But the court warned that this supportive role has “clear constitutional limits.” “Security agencies do not possess authority to review, vary, suspend, veto, or otherwise sit in judgment over court orders. The direction and supervision of execution remain the exclusive preserve of the courts.”

The court further clarified that security agencies may verify the authenticity of court orders where necessary, particularly in cases involving forged, irregularly issued, or improperly extracted court documents.

“Such verification, however, must remain strictly confined to confirming authenticity. It must not be turned into a process for questioning the legal validity, correctness, propriety, or enforceability of the order itself, for those are matters reserved exclusively for the courts. Nor must it become a device for delay, obstruction, refusal, or abuse. Verification is legitimate only where it is undertaken promptly, in good faith, and solely for the purpose of ascertaining that the order sought to be enforced is genuine. Once authenticity is confirmed, security agencies are bound to act in aid of, and not in derogation from, the authority of the court,” the ruling states.

The ruling raises new legal questions about the implementation of recent presidential directives on land evictions.

In a presidential communication in 2022, President Museveni directed that no eviction should occur in any district without a District Security Committee meeting chaired by RDCs and conducted in consultation with the Ministry of Lands. He further warned that members of District Security Committees would face consequences if evictions occurred outside this framework.

The President also warned magistrates and judges against facilitating illegal evictions in collusion with land grabbers and tasked the Minister of Lands with reporting judicial abuses to the Attorney General for possible legal action.

However, the Constitutional Court ruling appears to place constitutional limits on the role of executive actors in enforcing lawful court orders.

The judgment arrives against a backdrop of increasing land conflicts across Uganda, where forced evictions, land-grabbing allegations, and court-enforced removals remain a major source of tension.

It is unclear whether the President’s office will appeal the ruling.

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The Indigenous Seeds movement in East Africa is convening in Kenya, with the potential to reshape the region’s food systems.

Published

3 days ago

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June 3, 2026

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By the Witness Radio team.

As climate change, commercial agriculture, and changing agricultural policies place growing pressure on farmer-managed seed systems, the first-ever Eastern Africa Indigenous Seeds Conference will be convened in Nairobi, Kenya, to discuss the future of indigenous seeds and food systems in the region.

The first-ever Eastern Africa Indigenous Seed Conference, convened by Seed Savers Network (SSN) in collaboration with other key partners, including Witness Radio, will bring together farmers’ organizations, researchers, policymakers, seed custodians, and food sovereignty advocates from 17th to 20th November 2026 in Nairobi, Kenya. This gathering offers a unique chance for regional stakeholders to influence the future of indigenous seed systems and amplify their collective voice.

According to Daniel Wanjama, Executive Director of Seed Savers Network, the conference will offer indigenous communities, seed-saving farmers, and practitioners worldwide an opportunity to exchange experiences, learn from one another, and strengthen collaboration on indigenous seed conservation.

“It’s a very important moment for all of us because it will be our moment to exchange our practices, to learn from each other, and also borrow whatever we can from each other.” Mr. Wanjama said.

He said the gathering would also provide space to recognize women’s crucial role in seed saving, agricultural biodiversity conservation, and the preservation of indigenous knowledge systems.

The four-day conference, set to take place at the Catholic University of Eastern Africa, occurs at a critical time when climate change, biodiversity loss, and repressive agricultural policies threaten traditional farming systems and local seed diversity.

For generations, indigenous seeds have helped communities adapt to changing weather patterns, preserve biodiversity, and maintain culturally rooted food systems. Recognizing their vital role can inspire stakeholders to value and protect local knowledge and seed diversity.

The conference, themed “Realizing the Right to Food through Seed Sovereignty,” highlights the importance of indigenous seeds in resilient food systems and seed sovereignty and encourages participation from a wide range of stakeholders.

Participants will engage in panel discussions, policy dialogues, side events, knowledge-sharing sessions, exhibitions, and regional networking to strengthen cooperation among farmers, farmer organizations, researchers, civil society actors, development partners, and government institutions.

Key discussions will examine how indigenous and local seed varieties contribute to climate adaptation and resilience, emergency seed responses during crises and disasters, conservation of agricultural biodiversity, and food and nutrition security, among others.

“The conference will create a lasting platform through which stakeholders can continue interacting, exchanging information and knowledge, and developing joint approaches to address shared challenges affecting indigenous seed systems,” Daniel added.

As global conversations on food systems and climate resilience intensify, the conference offers Eastern Africa a vital chance to reaffirm indigenous seeds as a cornerstone for sustainable agriculture and community resilience, inspiring collective action.

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Witness Radio and Seed Savers Network are partnering to produce radio content to save indigenous seeds in Africa. Seed Boot Camp: A struggle to conserve local and indigenous seeds from extinction. Happening shortly! Kenya’s upcoming court ruling on the Seed Law could have a significant impact on farmers’ rights, food sovereignty, and the country’s food system. Stop favoring export-oriented production over strengthening local food systems – Food Sovereignty advocates to the African Development Bank officials. East African lawmakers and CSO leaders are meeting in Uganda to draw up plans to promote Agroecology as an alternative to climate change mitigation.
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