Through this programme, UREA promotes environmental protection, climate change adaptation and mitigation. Climate change is affecting a wide variety of sectors; agriculture, water, health and human settlements have been particularly affected. Environment and natural resources are under threat from both natural and manmade drivers of change including; poverty, rapid population growth, refugee settlement, unplanned urbanization, expansion of informal settlements, industrialization and the impacts of climate change and variability among others. Fragile ecosystems including hilly and mountainous areas, forests, riverbanks, lakeshores and rangelands are facing encroachment and degradation. Pollution levels are also on the increase and the country is contending with new and emerging environmental issues arising from e-waste, unsound use of chemicals, oil and gas development and the impacts of climate change such as droughts, floods, storms, heat waves and landslides that have had serious effects on agricultural production, food security, nutrition, incomes, health status and the livelihoods. 

Climate change potentially poses one of the greatest challenges for Uganda to realize its full development potential. For instance, climate change has brought about more and longer drought periods which impact differently on men and women farmers. In farming communities, the men go further away to look for pastures, while women walk longer distances for water and firewood, limiting the time for agricultural and food production. There are also cases of cross border migration especially the districts neighboring other countries, where men cross in search for work and women remain home to feed for the children. Uganda needs to respond to the challenges posed by climate change through both adaptation and mitigation options to build resilience, which is crucial to ensuring sustainable development. Though climate change is a global challenge to which global solutions must be found, the effects of climate change are local and local solutions are necessary while taking into consideration regional and national contexts.

UREA supports communities to focus on tree growing. Additionally, UREA is also promoting the use of energy saving technologies as a means of mitigating climate change effects. Empower communities to embark on sustainable soil and land management by constructing trenches, particularly in hilly areas, to reduce the speed of run-offs whenever it rains. 

Promotes renewable energy use through rallying households to use energy saving stoves for cooking and solar for lighting instead of clearing trees for wood fuel. Support farmers in enhancing adaptation to climate risks, improving agricultural productivity and providing effective response in the event of a crisis or emergency. Farmers were supported to improve productivity and incomes, and to strengthen their capacity to better adapt to climate change through promotion of improved technologies and sustainable land management practices.