With agriculture providing about 70% of Uganda’s export earnings, and the primary economic activity for much of its population, livelihoods are particularly sensitive to the fluctuations and uncertainties of seasonal rainfall − whether premature, delayed, prolonged or failed.

The Ugandan Ministry of Water and Environment recognises climate as ‘not only a natural resource, but a key determinant of the status of other natural resources’. The Ugandan government is also concerned about climate variability, to the extent that it has listed climate change as a key factor to consider in the country’s development. However, accurate, long-term meteorological data is largely lacking in Uganda. The observation and analysis of what meteorological data does exist, faces difficulties linked to the fragile network of weather stations and gaps in their records due to poorly equipped facilities, a lack of investment in infrastructure and personnel, and local conflict.

This paper, The national picture: climate trends in Uganda, looks at the climate trends and projections in three specific sites, Bundibugyo, Gulu and Kotido, the impacts of hazards and trends (climate and non-climate), changes in livelihoods and makes recommendations drawing on ACCRA’s research findings.

This brief is part of the project, Africa Climate Change Resilience Alliance (ACCRA): Helping policy-makers understand rural adaptation, a two-year DFID-funded programme that focuses on a high priority research area: adaptive capacity in rural livelihoods. It is a consortium that works to increase governments’ and development actors’ use of evidence in designing and implementing humanitarian and development interventions to increase poor and vulnerable communities’ adaptive capacity.

Further reading:

Project homepage:
Africa Climate Change Resilience Alliance (ACCRA): Helping policy-makers understand rural adaptation

Project summary:
Africa Climate Change Resilience Alliance (ACCRA): Helping policy-makers understand rural adaptation

Policy briefs:
Climate trends in Ethiopia: Summary of ACCRA research in three sites
Development interventions and adaptive capacity in rural Ethiopia
From local to national: Supporting local government action in climate change adaptation, disaster risk reduction and development planning

Research papers:
Preparing for the future? understanding the influence of development interventions on adaptive capacity at local level in Ethiopia
Preparing for the future in Uganda: understanding the influence of development interventions on adaptive capacity at the local level

Image credit: Oxfam