Background:
Globally, in 2019, 79.5 million people were forced to leave their homes due to conflict and violations of human rights. Sub-Saharan Africa counted 6.3 million refugees and many more internally displaced persons (IDPs) following conflicts and violence in South Sudan, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), and the Central African Republic (CAR) (UNHCR, 2020). Displaced people (refugees and internally displaced) influxes and dependency on natural resources for construction materials, fuelwood and livelihood activities frequently exceed the carrying capacity of the environment, leading to soil degradation and biodiversity loss, and tensions and conflicts with surrounding hosting communities (Duguma et al., 2009; Kakonge, 2000; UNHCR,2018.)
The environment is often not considered from the outset of refugee planning due to different institutional understandings and consideration of environmental issues. The environment is often a ‘hidden’ underlying issue, interwoven wit