Innovative Solution Aims to Keep Villagers Safe on Mudslide Prone Mountain

Mount Elgon in Eastern Uganda, prone to deadly mudslides due to deforestation and intensified rains from climate change, is the focus of a novel approach by the American non-profit GiveDirectly. Instead of top-down solutions, GiveDirectly is testing the effectiveness of providing cash grants with no strings attached to residents, allowing them to relocate to safer areas of their choice. The approach aims to address the failure of previous government-led re-settlement efforts, which lacked community input and resulted in people returning to dangerous areas. The results of the cash grant program, which could have implications for other climate disaster-prone regions, will be available next year.