| Sumario: | Refugee settlements in East Africa face compounding challenges related to food insecurity, cooking energy poverty, and environmental degradation. With most refugees in Kenya, Uganda, and Ethiopia spending years or even decades in settlements, sustainable, long-term interventions are essential. In response, circular economy approaches focused on resource recovery and reuse (RRR) have been piloted to improve the socio-ecological resilience of both refugee and host communities. Key interventions include the conversion of organic residues into fuel briquettes, the promotion of agroforestry, and the adoption of energy-efficient stoves to reduce reliance on firewood. Greywater reuse for irrigation, composting, and biochar applications support food and nutrition security through home gardening and soil restoration. The project emphasizes gender-responsive planning, recognizing that women and children bear a disproportionate burden in accessing food and biomass. Stakeholder consultations identified cooking energy as a critical need linked to hunger, land conflict, and deforestation. Implementation is supported by a consortium of international partners and local institutions, with an emphasis on inclusive livelihoods, environmental protection, and cross-sectoral collaboration. The initiative aligns with broader development goals by integrating humanitarian aid with long-term ecological and economic sustainability strategies.
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