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Climate change: Uganda asked to build resilience
Several parts of Uganda suffer from floods during rainy seasons.
What you need to know:
- Climate change exacerbates the unpredictability of weather patterns, making it challenging for farmers to plant and harvest crops effectively. Additionally, the resulting water scarcity and soil degradation can lead to long-term adverse effects on livelihoods and ecosystems,” Anete Garoza, an international climate lawyer.
He looked on helplessly, tears rolling down his cheeks as he kept biting his lower lip. Minutes earlier, he was agitated, attempting to plunge into the ferociously high-running water that carried and swallowed his motorcycle (boda boda). He sorely watched on as the wild waters carried his source of livelihood down afar. Friends, shouting with pleas to let it go, pushed the envelope to hold him back.
The news on a local radio that morning had reported that the floods on River Nyamwamba had claimed the life of a resident and warned other community members against attempts to cross it. Nyamwamba, which has recently become synonymous with effects of climate change as its waters rise and run at uncontrollably destructive speeds, once fed gardens with irrigation water in Kasese.
In addition to heavy rains, which contribute to floods, the river feeds on melting glaciers from Mountain Rwenzori, whose snow continues to recede as a result of increased temperatures.
The World Bank (WB) reports that Uganda has in past decades experienced more erratic rainfalls, leading to frequent bursting of river banks, mudslides and landslides. These have further birthed loss of lives and property of communities, especially those living in the mountainous areas. At the same time, those in low lands experience floods as seen during and after downpours in many parts, including Kampala and its suburbs.
Devastating
Increased frequency and severity of floods and droughts are the worst climate change effects Uganda is yet to face. In an interview, Anete Garoza, an international climate lawyer, says climate change effects are devastating agriculture, which is a cornerstone of Uganda’s economy and food security.
Climate Links, a global knowledge portal for climate and development practitioners, estimates that 75 percent of the population lives in rural areas. It further adds that most households report no significant buffers against climate stressors.
Joseph Masembe, a climate change enthusiast, argues that policy and legislation can help mitigate changes in weather patterns.
“Building resilience to mitigate the effects of climate change requires comprehensive, integrated, and collaborative approaches that address the underlying causes, vulnerabilities, and risks associated with climate change impacts,” Masembe says.
Masembe founded Little Hands Go Green, a civil society organisation that rallies the youth to take charge of their future by protecting and restoring the environment through planning and caring for trees. He also suggests the need to raise awareness, educate, and empower communities, stakeholders, policymakers, and the public about climate change.
Fighting back
To avert climate change impacts in Uganda and the region, Garoza, who is also a climate officer at 1MTN, a team with global experience in the environment, forestry and climate legislation, suggests that it is crucial to implement comprehensive mitigation and adaptation strategies. Promoting renewable energy is key and she says this can be achieved through investing in solar, wind, and hydroelectric power to reduce reliance on fossil fuels, adopting climate-smart agricultural practices that improve resilience and productivity, as well as implementing reforestation and afforestation projects to absorb carbon dioxide and preserve biodiversity.
In light of protected areas and conservation, Masembe notes that Uganda has established numerous national parks, wildlife reserves, and protected areas to conserve its rich biodiversity and preserve endangered species and their habitats.
Afforestation and reforestation efforts have variously been promoted as major initiatives to avert climate change and build resilience.
Garoza recommends a combination of strategies aimed at reducing vulnerability and enhancing adaptive capacity. She, for one, cites diversifying livelihoods by encouraging economic activities that are less dependent on climate-sensitive sectors and building robust infrastructure that can withstand extreme weather events.
The WB states that climate change impacts in Uganda should be mainstreamed in all water resources management plans and programmes to secure environmental safety and sustainable fresh water supply for the country in the immediate, near and long-term future.
‘Just transition’
In June, the African Development Bank Group and the Climate Investment Funds (CIF) launched a series of groundbreaking workshops aimed at integrating ‘just transition’ principles into Uganda’s sustainable development strategy to ensure the shift towards a clean economy doesn’t leave vulnerable communities behind.
“Uganda is at the forefront of climate action, which will inevitably lead to both positive and negative impacts. This project aims to support the government in better understanding the risks and opportunities associated with climate mitigation measures in the transport sector,” Augustine Kpehe Ngafuan, the bank’s country manager, says.
Alfred Okot Okidi, the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Water and Environment, says Uganda has scientific information regarding climate change with actions focused on adaption, with the provision of irrigation facilities, properly designed roads, creation of awareness and planting resilient crop varieties then mitigation by addressing climate change causes, implementation and policies, laws and regulation.
