1. NATIONAL POPULATION AND
DEVELOPMENT CONFERENCE, SPEKE
RESORT MUNYONYO
O7Th
- 09Th
DEC 2011
EVIDENCE AND IMPACTS OF ENVIRONMENTAL
AND CLIMATE CHANGE ON POPULATION IN
UGANDA
Aribo Lawrence
Climate Change Unit (CCU), Ministry of Water and Environment,
Tel +256-414-237690/0712832926
aribo311@yahoo.co.uk
2. Presentation outline
Introduction
Evidence of environmental and climate change
Impacts of environmental and climate change
Implication to human population
Possible interventions
Challenges
Lessons
3. Introduction
Environmental issues include but are not limited to:
Population pressure
Deforestation, Forest and wetland degradation
Land and water degradation
Pollution (air, water, soil)
Loss of biodiversity (wildlife, fish and plants species)
Climate Change
4. Introduction
Climate Change (CC)
Environmental and development issue
Any long-term significant change in the average
weather over time (at least 30 years according to
WMO)
Caused by
Natural factors ( Solar variability/flares, natural
gas releases)
human factors/activities
6. Introduction
Human activities: e.g.
• Industrial activities and processes
• Transport and energy:
• Burning fossil fuel and biomass
• Dump sites (poor waste management)
• Land use and cover change:
• deforestation and land conversion to agriculture (puddy rice
cultivation, Massive livestock raring)
These increase atmospheric concentrations of
greenhouse gases (GHGs: carbon dioxide, methane,
nitrous oxide) and aerosols hence warming (green
house effect)
8. Evidence of environmental change
Land-use change e.g. Forest to Agric, Agric-
settlement, urbanisation
Change in forest cover e.g. 1990-2009 decreased by
27% (NFA, 2009)
Change in wetland area e.g. 68% wetlands in Iganga
reclaimed for paddy rice (WMD, 2009)
Land degradation e.g. 85% exposed/bare soils in
mount Elgon area (NEMA, 2009)
Pollution (industrial, solid and e-waste) e.g.
generated waste collection rate in Kampala is only
38% (NEMA, 2008a)
9. Evidence of climate change
Increased Malaria incidences into formally colder
malaria free highland area e.g. Kabale
Melting of the Ice caps on Rwenzori mountains
Shifting of vegetation (Lobelia) and fauna (Three
horned Chameleon) belt to higher levels on
Rwenzori mountains
Increased occurrence and severity of extreme
climatic events (Floods and Droughts)’ e.g. eastern
Uganda and cattle corridor
15. Climate change and environmental impacts
Other impacts
Unreliable planting/growing seasons
Increased burden on women and limiting time to
participate in decision making and productive work
conflict and competition over limited resources
Development opportunities e.g. investment flows through
carbon trading (Clean development mechanism: CDM)
Energy, Waste management, Transport, Forestry
16. Implications of CC and environmental
change impacts
Population under escalating poverty
Population at risk of hunger and malnutrition
Population vulnerable to disease epidemics hence risk
of losing labour force and productive time
More effort/funds towards recovery/reconstruction
frustrating sustainable development efforts
Human migration in search of pasture and survival
Encroachment into protected and fragile ecosystems
Conflict over the limited resources and insecurity
17. Possible interventions
Adaptation (risk reduction) strategies :
•Awareness creation
•Integrate CC into development planning, budgeting and
implementation
•Develop more resilient plant production systems
•Introduce stress tolerant crop varieties and/or species
•Adjustment of planting dates and crop variety
•Improving irrigation efficiency
•Conserving soil moisture through appropriate tillage, mulching
•improve land management, e.g. erosion control and soil
protection, restoration of degraded area through tree planting
•Diversifying income through livestock raising, forestry and fisheries
•Rainwater harvesting , storage and use
•Capacity building (technical , logistical and financial)
18. Possible interventions
Mitigation (GHG emission reduction) strategies :
•Awareness creation
• Renewable energies: solar, Hydro power and energy
efficiency (energy efficient cook stoves)
•Reducing demand for emissions-intensive goods and services,
•Creation of sinks for storing carbon through natural resource
management (carbon sequestration) e.g. reducing
deforestation and increasing tree planting:-Afforestation;
reforestation; forest and wetland conservation &
management
•Improved crop and grazing land management to increase
soil carbon storage
•Wastewater treatment and recycling.
•Enforcement of laws and community by laws
19. Policy Frameworks
International Policy Frameworks e.g.
United National Framework convention on CC , Convention on
Biodiversity, convention to combat desertification
National Policy frameworks e.g.
National Development plan
Population & Environment Policy & Action Plan
Committees: Parliamentary committee on natural resources, CC
Policy Committee
Working group (WG): Water and environment Sector WG
Mandated bodies e.g. POPSEC, CCU, NEMA, DESS, FSSD,
WMD (MWE)
Environment policy, guidelines and implementation plan in place
BUT for climate change in process
20. Current challenges
High population growth rate
Inadequate awareness on CC Implementation of
policies
Limited capacity (Institutional, financial, human,
logistical
Absence of CC policy
Implementation of relevant policies
Change of attitude
21. Lessons learnt
Climate change issues are still new to many and need
critical attention to minimize harm to the ecological and
human systems
Awareness MUST be intensified
Environmental, Climate change, and population issues
should be well addressed and budgeted for in
sustainable development Agenda and programmes
All stake holders and sectors must be involved
