Submerged market at Laropi landing site. The once-vital source of revenue for the town council is now underwater, severely disrupting economic activities. PHOTO.MARKO TAIBOT
The Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) of the United Nations and other organisations working in the Nile Basin advocate for a range of strategies to help small-scale farmers mitigate these impacts of climate change and build resilience.
These strategies often combine traditional knowledge with modern agricultural practices, focusing on sustainable water management, climate-resilient farming, and community empowerment.
However, continuous flooding in Adjumani, Moyo, and Obongi districts has resulted in the loss of livelihoods and farmlands. Most of the displaced families are now living on borrowed land in upscale areas as Marko Taibot writes.
Families in the Madi sub-region, particularly from the districts of Adjumani, Moyo, and Obongi, are still grappling with the aftermath of the 2020 floods, which left vast swathes of farmland submerged. The severe flooding, triggered by heavy rains, has significantly impacted communities along the River Nile, displacing thousands, cutting off transportation routes, and damaging vital infrastructure.
Villages like Ggbalala, Laropi, Idrimari, Panyanga, and Dufele in Moyo district, as well as Ukusijoni, Pachara, Ciforo, and Dzaipi in Adjumani district, and Aliba, Ewafa, Obongi Town Council, Gimara, Itula, and Palorinya in Obongi district, were affected.
A rapid needs assessment conducted in 2020 by the Alliance Forum for Development (AFOD) Uganda, in partnership with district disaster management committees, revealed that in Laropi sub-county alone, 2,475 households were impacted, affecting 10,221 people. In Obongi District, 1,734 households, representing 13,083 people, were also affected.
Despite the ongoing crisis, several displaced families have received little to no support from the government. They remain stranded, unable to return to their submerged homes, lacking clean water, food, and proper shelter.
The current flooding is the worst the region has witnessed since 1960, submerging homes over 200 meters from the riverbank. Over 150 families from Ukusijoni sub-county and Laropi Town Council are among those struggling to survive as they await a possible return to their ancestral lands once the water levels recede.
“I have lived here for 30 years, and I have never seen anything like this flooding. Since we were displaced, we cannot cultivate crops, rear animals, and rebuild our homes. As a result, we are unable to pay our children’s school fees. Finding food has become a daily struggle,” says Josephine Dralada, a resident of Laropi. For many like Dralada, the land provided not only a means of survival but a sense of identity and stability.
The loss of this connection has deepened the psychological and financial strain. “We are squatters on other people’s land now, and we have no idea how long this will last. We thought the flood water would recede quickly. Now, with the heavy rains, we have lost hope. We are completely stranded,” Rufina Komaa, another affected resident, laments.
Local leaders have called for urgent government intervention, including the provision of alternative resettlement land, relief support, and long-term solutions to manage the rising water levels. Environmental experts warn that without immediate action, the situation could worsen, potentially leading to further displacement and severe food shortages.
Counting the cost
A mini irrigation scheme worth millions of shillings, established by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations was not spared the destruction. The scheme was meant to support women and vulnerable groups as part of a broader effort to enhance food security and reduce malnutrition.
David Tiondi Luga, the LCIII chairperson of Laropi sub-county, expressed little hope for the restoration of the scheme, noting that the sub-county cannot revive it. “Some components are missing. Several women relied on the scheme for their livelihoods and it had the potential to be a game-changer for our community,” he says.
Between 2014 and 2025, Laropi Town Council invested in a mini market worth Shs100 million at the ferry landing site and developed a 52-acre agroforestry project next to the market. According to Luga, these investments have largely failed.
“All the market buildings were submerged and are in ruins. As you move northwards, half of the 52-acre tree plantation is dead. For years, floods never reached this area, but now they have wiped out much of our investment,” he says. The landing site was equipped with shades and sanitation facilities.
The once-vital source of revenue for the town council is now underwater, severely disrupting economic activities. Rose Mandera, a fishmonger, is also grappling with significant losses. After borrowing Shs1.5 million to buy fish nets, she lost her investment to the invasive water hyacinth that swept the Nile.
“My fish nets are gone, and I can barely repay my loan. I am struggling to pay my children's school fees and provide for my family. How is the government going to support us?” she asks. Charles Anyama, the town clerk for Laropi Town Council, echoes these concerns, noting that the rising water levels have severely impacted the council's revenue base.
“I urge the government to relocate the affected market vendors by expanding the market in Laropi Town Council to accommodate them. The town’s strategic location as a trade hub for South Sudan and the Democratic Republic of Congo means it still has significant economic potential, only if urgent interventions are made,” he explains.
More destruction
In Obongi district, a five-square-kilometre area previously used as grazing land for over 18,000 cattle has been submerged by floodwaters, forcing herders to move their livestock into crop fields. This is destroying crops and worsening the risk of food insecurity. Philip Kolo Tamanya, the LCI chairperson of Alimara Village in Itula sub-county, explains that the land that once supported small-scale vegetable farming has been overtaken by floodwaters since 2019.
“The flooding has also triggered the spread of livestock diseases, which now threaten both human and animal health. This situation could lead to severe livestock losses and increased hunger in the community. In the coming year, paying school fees and buying medicine for children might become challenging,” he warns.
Meanwhile, Jamal Siraji, a resident of East Village in Obongi Town Council, shares a similar plight. He was displaced from the home he established on a two-acre plot near River Nile by continuous flooding.
“In 2018, when I first settled on this land, the riverbank was 200 meters away. However, by the end of my second year, the rising waters had swallowed the land, including an acre of crops. The flood water rose to the level of my windows, forcing me to flee my home and rent elsewhere,” he says.
Despite returning in 2023 when the waters seemed to have receded, Siraji’s tenant was forced to leave after just three months when the floods returned. “I had invested my resources in putting up my house. Now, my focus is on my family, ensuring that my children have food and can attend school. I have lost hope of returning to my land,” he laments.
In Adjumani district, the two square kilometre stretch of fertile farmland in Sinyanya and Rubangabini villages, Ukusijoni Sub-county in Adjumani District, has been engulfed by floodwaters, permanently displacing, more than 60 households. Mansur Butele, the LCI chairperson, says the submerged land was a vital lifeline for many smallholder farmers. “We used to grow sugarcane to earn a living. Now, that is no more.
The trees we planted have all died. The impact of the flooding extends beyond the loss of farmland. Several displaced families are now living on borrowed land from relatives in upland areas,” he says.
The disruption of their livelihoods has resulted in food insecurity, particularly as crops such as rice, maize, and sugarcane were wiped out in the initial wave of flooding. The environmental changes have also triggered a public health crisis. Butele notes a sharp rise in malaria cases as stagnant waters have created breeding grounds for mosquitoes. “The health burden is breaking families because they cannot afford essential medicines,” he says.
Interventions
According to the district production officer, Johnson Opigo, more than 100 households are unable to return to their homes, with about 100 acres of farmland along the River Nile submerged. “Some affected families in Moyo district have been advised to relocate to safer areas in Liwa Parish, Gimara sub-county. Others are still struggling to find alternative land for cultivation and settlement. The water levels show no signs of receding, suggesting that the current challenges could persist for the foreseeable future,” he warns.
Charles Giyaya, the natural resource officer for Adjumani district, suggests that there is a need to adapt to climate change by practicing sustainable water management and improved irrigation systems. “We should start using drip, sprinkler, and pivot irrigation to deliver water directly to plant roots. This minimises the waste of water through evaporation and runoff. Scale farmers should practice water harvesting and storage in small reservoirs, ponds, and household-level tanks, for supplementary irrigation during the dry spells,” he advises.
Impact of floods in Obongi district
In Obongi District, the floods destroyed 63 institutional latrine facilities, including three for fish markets, four for primary schools, and one for a health facility, affecting both host and refugee communities. Additionally, 13 water supply facilities serving 3,061 households (about 21,442 people) were damaged. A month after the devastating 2020 floods, a report by the Alliance for Community Transformation and Development (AFOD) revealed significant health challenges among displaced communities.
The report highlighted 10,231 malaria cases, 222 diarrhea cases, 1,611 acute respiratory infections cases, 393 injuries, 290 pregnancy-related complications, 50 pneumonia cases, and 300 cases of scabies. The widespread damage to health infrastructure and water sources has increased the risk of further disease outbreaks, particularly waterborne infections, in the affected areas. The report also underscored the vulnerability of women and children in these communities.
Among women, 52.38 percent were exposed to inter-communal violence, while 23.81 percent faced sexual exploitation. For girls, 59.26 percent were exposed to communal violence, with 33.33 percent facing the risk of sexual exploitation. Among the crisis-affected and displaced populations, 38.24 percent of school-age children were not attending school, while 61.76 percent continued to access some form of education.
As the River Nile continues to rise, the resilience of the affected communities is being tested like never before, raising critical questions about climate change adaptation and disaster preparedness in Uganda’s vulnerable rural regions.
Climate change and altered rainfall patterns pose significant challenges for small-scale farmers in the Nile Basin. The impacts include increased flooding, water logging, and salinisation of agricultural lands. With no visible support or sustainable resettlement plan from the government, the future remains bleak for the affected families.
