Drought Resistance Uganda (DRU) is a project that aims to address the impact of climate change on developing nations by collaborating with local organisations to create sustainable solutions for water scarcity in northern Uganda.
Project summary
Drought Resistance Uganda (DRU) came to life in 2019 during the UNSW Engineering course Humanitarian Engineering Project (ENGG4102) and has now blossomed into its own Social Impact project.
The project seeks to address the impact of climate change on developing nations by collaborating with locals to create sustainable solutions for water scarcity in northern Uganda. The team partners closely with the not-for-profit Love Mercy Foundation (LMF) and their agricultural seed loan program, Cents for Seeds.
In November 2019, UNSW students travelled to northern Uganda to collaborate with the local communities to develop sustainable solutions to tackle issues of water scarcity and strengthen the livelihoods of thousands of Ugandan women.
During this trip they successfully installed two weather stations to aid farmers in determining the best time and type of crop to plant. The students were able to see firsthand the positive impact this program has on families and women throughout northern Uganda.
Project outcomes
In the future, DRU's goals include weather data collection and dissemination, drought resilient agricultural practices, irrigation solutions and GIS mapping.
Ultimately DRU wants to develop human-centred solutions that strengthen and build up communities in countries such as Uganda.