Contested Landscapes: Environmental Resource Tensions Between Refugees and Host Communities in Ayilo I & II, Adjumani District, Uganda
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Date
2026-03-20
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International Journal of Advanced Research
Abstract
ABSTRACT
Introduction: Uganda has garnered significant international recognition for its progressive refugee policy, which structurally embeds local integration, the right to work, and access to land, aligning with global commitments under the Comprehensive Refugee Response Framework (CRRF). However, this positive policy facade conceals a complex and fragile landscape marked by profound environmental resource pressure, identity negotiation, systemic institutional weakness, and fragile social cohesion.
Methodology: Focusing on long-term refugee-hosting areas, specifically Ayilo I and Ayilo II settlements in Adjumani District, Northern Uganda, this article uses qualitative fieldwork to critically examine how the scarcity of essential resources, land, water, and forest products, interacts with governance gaps, cultural misunderstandings, and perceptions of inequality to structure conflict dynamics. The analytical framework is situated within global and African comparative displacement contexts to illustrate how the combined forces of resource scarcity, rapid demographic shifts, and institutional limitations jointly contribute to environmental conflict in displacement settings.
Findings: The core findings demonstrate that environmental resource conflict in Adjumani is simultaneously ecological, institutional, and socio-cultural.
Conclusion and Recommendations: The article concludes by advocating for integrated, locally grounded approaches to environmental management and conflict reduction, thereby contributing theoretically to the broader scholarship on resource conflict, forced migration, and the evolving dynamics of refugee-host relations. The study recommends land policy dialogue frameworks, enhancing environmental policies, and including refugee-host representation in local governance.
Description
Ethical clearance was obtained from the Gulu University Research Ethics Committee (GUREC) in March 2025 with clearance number GUREC 2024-925. All participants provided informed consent. Participation was voluntary, and confidentiality was maintained throughout the study.
Keywords
Landscapes, Resource tensions, Refugees, Host community, Adjumani.
Citation
Okello, M. R. & Apecu, S. L. (2026). Contested Landscapes: Environmental Resource Tensions Between Refugees and Host Communities in Ayilo I & II, Adjumani District, Uganda. International Journal of Advanced Research, 9(1), 126-140. https://doi.org/10.37284/ijar.9.1.4688