KAMPALA – Climate change adaptation is increasingly becoming an area of growing interest and engagement for many developing countries that unfortunately bear the brunt of an overheating planet caused by the so called ‘developed countries’.
The uncertain effects of the capricious weather patterns on Uganda’s economy pose significant setbacks for meeting development targets like Vision 2040 which aims to create the conditions for the development of a green economy and further calls for local governments and all economic sectors to plan their adaptation to the adverse effects of climatic caprices.
Like most poor nations, Uganda’s 48 million citizens significantly depend on both their natural environment and resource base for survival. The unsustainable exploitation of these invaluable resources and losses brought on by climate change appear to be a cancerous issue that has grown to be a serious development challenge in Uganda.
It is not difficult to see that Uganda’s climate security vulnerability lies predominantly along the Lake Victoria basin and hilly areas of Rwenzori and Eastern region as a result of a combination of high physical exposure as well as low household and community resilience.
Poor adaptive responses to increasing changes in temperature, precipitation, storms, and sea levels could contribute to the persistence of poverty and vulnerability in some areas of the nation due to a lack of resources like land and water, which breeds negative secondary effects like increased illness, hunger, and unemployment, which in turn opens the door to hopelessness and social unrest.
Lack of institutional, legislative, and economic capacity for stable ecosystem management and effective management of natural resources exacerbates these issues, resulting in decreased farm output, increased workload, particularly for women, and a disrupted rural economy.
Climate financing is critical to assisting communities in coping, but it is not a substitute for reducing emissions and ending reliance on fossil fuels, which is the core cause of the climate catastrophe. It is possible to reduce the impact of GHG emissions by switching to cleaner and renewable energy sources.
Uganda is blessed with an abundance of renewable energy resources, including solar, wind, hydro, and geothermal energy. More funds need to be set aside to strengthen enforcement against those engaging in deforestation and invading wetlands and forest cover. Uganda should invest in these clean and sustainable alternatives like solar, which is sustainable to reduce GHGs in the atmosphere. Cities, districts, and numerous agencies also need to monitor and apprehend anyone involved in environmental destruction activities.
Additionally, organizations like the Uganda Red Cross Society that are developing disaster preparedness and response programs in order to enhance community, group, and institutional capacity for climate responses and adaptation should receive increased assistance.
The future is in our hands; we can use natural resources without jeopardizing their quality so that future generations can enjoy them as well!
The author, Ivan Munguongeyo is a Performance Monitoring, Evaluation, Reporting Officer, Uganda Red Cross Society!
