Photo by Robin Kutesa
Author: Robert J.Turyakira
If any Ugandan still doubts the existential threat that climate change poses, the rapidly changing climate conditions in Uganda is the answer. Climate change has not only caused increase of extreme weather events but also caused a multitude of erratic rainfall pattern, floods, landslides, hailstorms, ice melting and long droughts. These changes evidently have occasioned a far reaching effect on the livelihoods of the already vulnerable people. Indeed, climate change issues have impacted every sector of the Ugandan economy, particularly with regards to poverty reduction and socio-economic transformation.
Uganda, like most developing countries especially in the Global South has already experienced climate disasters. Uganda is particularly vulnerable to the impacts of climate change due to the low level of development, lack of infrastructure and adaptive capacity especially in critical sectors like ecosystems, agriculture, water, business and health. It is no longer a secret that the covid-19 lock downs worsened an already bad situation especially in the local communities of Uganda. Since the emergency of the global health crisis of covid-19, Uganda in the quest to slow down the spread of the pandemic installed measures and controls that would later limit movement of people through total lockdowns, curfews and restrictions on movement. The disruptions have impacted negatively on key sectors including, agriculture, education, businesses and ecosystems.
As communities are grappling with the socio-economic losses due to floods, they are as well faced with the adverse impacts of covid-19 that include job loss, food insecurity, distortion to education and health system. However, the occurrence of covid-19 disruptions and climate change presents Uganda with an opportunity to set a high but achievable ambition to mitigate climate change and also support in enhancing the adaptive capacity of the key vulnerable sectors through its updated Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs). Uganda should include a Comprehensive Recovery Plan from covid-19 and climate impacts in the community with concerted efforts by Ministry of Finance Planning and Economic Development (MFPED), National Planning Authority (NPA) and Climate Change Department (CCD) of the Ministry of Water and Environment (MWE).
As a country, our covid-19 recovery plan should establish rescue and stimulus packages on strengthening community and family resilience and establishing clear conditions for supporting key sectors whose operation is a priority to guarantee the well-being of the people of Uganda. The economic crisis that has been created by the impacts of covid-19 and climate change can be overcome.
The comprehensive recovery plan should refocus on how to leverage on Uganda’s demographic dividends and support young people to sustainably recover and be productive again. The plan should support the growth of a circular economy through a proper and well-detailed youth engagement plan that is fully dedicated to bringing all youth especially at the grassroots into the climate debate and action. Uganda should urgently design and implement nature-based solutions to protect; sustainably manage and restore natural or modified ecosystems, in order to address societal challenges. These timely interventions shall revamp our local communities that have been badly ravaged by both climate change and the dreaded covid-19 pandemic.
The author, Mr Robert J.Turyakira is an environment and climate activist.
