Building resilience to climate change is vital

Anna Ampurira

What you need to know:

  • Coordination. Improving climate change governance is key, especially regarding issues of coordination among the various institutions dealing with climate resilience-related issues such as disaster preparedness, natural resource management, social welfare and emergency aid.
  • The relevant institutional capacities should be strengthened.

Uganda is undoubtedly one of the countries in Africa that is most vulnerable to climate change. In the world, Uganda is ranked as the 27th most vulnerable and 25th least ready country to address climate change challenge. We are also among the countries that are least able to cope with climate change effects.
Noticeably, the country is already experiencing climate change effects, including increased climate variability and extreme weather conditions that have led to famine and droughts thus affecting food security.
The western, northern and north-eastern regions have been experiencing more frequent and long-lasting droughts than have been seen historically. The water levels in some of the lakes and rivers, particularly Lake Victoria and River Nile are receding, hence affecting different areas, especially the agriculture, water, transport and energy sectors.

As indicated in the Climate Change Policy, Uganda’s economy is particularly vulnerable to climate change and variability due to a number of specific factors, which include reliance on exploitation of natural resources, particularly within the agricultural sector; heavy dependence on rain-fed agriculture; a high population growth rate of 3.2 per cent per year; and a low per capita income of about $506.
Furthermore, as a poor country, Uganda cannot adequately finance adaptation measures that would enable it to minimise the impacts of adverse effects of climate change. The presence of weak and inadequate infrastructure (weak buildings, seasonal roads and inadequate availability of health and medical services) also increase Uganda’s vulnerability.

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change defines resilience as the ‘capacity of social, economic, and environmental systems to cope with a hazardous event or trend or disturbance, responding or reorganising in ways that maintain their essential function, identity, and structure, while also maintaining the capacity for adaptation, learning, and transformation’.

In this case, the hazardous event or disturbance is climate change. Uganda’s Vision 2040 recognises that climate change affects all sectors of country’s economy, which makes the need for preparedness unavoidable so as to ensure that the country is resilient to its adverse impacts.
Since climate change is a growing threat to development and livelihoods, building and strengthening resilience to its effects is imperative.
Uganda has the legal and policy framework favourable for building and strengthening climate resilience. The issue is the actual implementation and practice.
At a recent launch of the Strengthening Resilience and Promoting Inclusive Governance Programme funded by CARE Denmark through CARE Uganda, Uganda’s local government representatives pointed out that local government is incapacitated to undertake its mandate with regard to climate resilience.

They argued that this was due to inadequate funding, incapability of some staff, inadequate staffing and weak linkages with central government interventions.
The officials stressed the need to build their technical capacity and integrate climate resilience measures in district development plans. The need for coordination of the different actors to avoid duplication was also emphasised.

Climate resilience-building measures need to be addressed as a long-term process based on alignment with government priorities.
Improving climate change governance is key, especially regarding issues of coordination among the various institutions dealing with climate resilience-related issues like disaster preparedness, natural resource management, social welfare and emergency aid.

The relevant institutional capacities should be strengthened as well as promoting the participation of communities more vulnerable to climate change effects in climate resilience planning. Government should widely share information on the different resilience initiatives being undertaken.
Lastly, there should be adequate domestic climate change financing beyond relying on external or international funding.

Ms Amumpiire works with Advocates Coalition for Development and Environment (ACODE).