ALM UNDP

Summary:

The impacts of climate change in Uganda has affected agricultural productivity and resulted in persisting food insecurity for a large number of families.This project aims to improve the food security of smaller holder farmers in the Iganga and Jinja districts through creating awareness about the causes and effects of climate change within 4 farming communities and 16 schools, and motivating stakeholders to mitigate and adapt to changing climate conditions.

Although Climate change and its effects have taken root in most parts of Uganda there is a general lack of knowledge in policy-making, business and rural communities about its causes and effects and about mitigation and adaptation strategies. Climate change has been recently observed though a period of prolonged drought, erratic rainfall patterns and unusually high temperatures. This has affected agricultural productivity and resulted in persisting food insecurity for a large number of Ugandans. The World Bank rates deforestation in Uganda to be at 3% per year and the National Forestry Authority calculates losses of around 80,000 ha annually. The Jinja and Iganga districts, which form the major watershed that feeds Lake Victoria, have been identified by the National Environment Management Authority to be the areas most affected by deforestation. Unfortunately, farming communities in the area have failed to make the connections between their actions and ongoing climatic changes, and as such, they continue to cut trees and clear land for crops leading to the disruption of local hydrological cycles and resulting in recent droughts and rainfall shortages. This project aims to improve the food security of smaller holder farmers in the Iganga and Jinja districts through creating awareness about the causes and effects of climate change within 4 farming communities and 16 schools, and motivating stakeholders to mitigate and adapt to changing climate conditions. The knowledge sharing strategy of this project focuses on women, as 80% of the agricultural workforce, and will involve the creation of drama, songs and radio broadcasts to stimulate discussions on climate change adaptation