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Uganda Civil Society Leaders’ Annual Statement Urge Climate Action to Avert Food Insecurity

This Annual Uganda Civil Society Leaders’ Statement is in the tradition of the series that leaders of Civil Society have made in the last 5 years articulating our aspirations for Uganda and demanding action from leaders on what we consider the most pressing concerns affecting Ugandans.

This year’s Annual Statement is written against the backdrop of incessant failures by leadership at all levels. It is therefore a rallying call, directed more at ordinary Ugandans who we believe, in line with our ‘Citizen is Central’ philosophy, must play a stronger role in reclaiming their citizenship.

'We should all recall that Uganda is a country very endowed by nature and has some of the most generous people, deserving the best. We are a country with several fresh water lakes, rivers and swamps; a great tropical temperate climate; vast mineral and oil wealth; abundant thermal, solar, hydro, and wind energy; fertile soils; one of the youngest populations in the world; and an advantageous geo-strategic positioning in the great lakes region of east and central Africa among others. This is a potential which is far from being exploited to the maximum for the benefit of Ugandan citizens. As we start this year, let us remember that these are opportunities available
for us all to exploit as citizens of this great country', the statement noted in its preamble.

However, due to the growing climate change challenge, Ugandan CSOs have vowed to promote the implementation of the provisions of the Uganda National Climate Change Policy and the attendant National Level Climate Actions which prioritize community-based resilience building.

This is in view of the increased reports which indicate that there could be more than one million people at risk of climate change and many are really food insecure, experiencing water scarcity and as a result are susceptible to poor health among others. The dry conditions due to late and below average rains in the northwest, central and eastern parts of Uganda from the outgoing season is an urgent call to action for more effort from local and national government, cultural, religious and other leaders in 2017.

'We need to take actions that support community-based resilience building to weather changes that emanate from drought or floods so as to reduce the current rush to encroach on fragile ecosystems like wetlands and forest catchment as the only ‘adaptive’ measure in sight', emphasized the statement.

Read the full Uganda Civil Society Leaders’ Annual Statement (January 2017) from here

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With a population of approximately 37.5 million, Uganda is ranked 161st in the Human Development Index (HDI) ranking and 24th in terms of vulnerability. Average annual temperature has increased by 1.3 degrees C since 1960 and there will be a projected increase between 1.0 degrees C and 3.1 degrees C and increases in annual rainfall by the 2060s (McSweeney et al. 2010). In addition, the average number of ‘hot’ days and ‘hot’ nights per year in Uganda have increased since 1960 (McSweeney et al, 2010).

In light of the above, Uganda’s climate action – the Intended Nationally Determined Contribution (INDC) submitted ahead of the Paris Conference in October 2015, notes that the livelihood of the people of Uganda is highly dependent on the exploitation of her natural resources, including climate, forests and water.

Hence, Uganda’s priority in the INDC is adaptation. Key in this plan is the need to scale up work on reducing vulnerability and addressing adaptation in agriculture and livestock, forestry, infrastructure (with an emphasis on human settlements, social infrastructure and transport), water, energy, health and disaster risk management.

Forests should be at the center of Uganda’s climate action

Uganda is highly depended on her natural resources, making it vulnerable to the impacts of climate change. Uganda is experiencing significant impacts of climate change. For example recent reports from the Famine Early Warning Systems Network (FEWS NET) indicate that there has been an increase in seasonal mean temperature in many areas of Uganda over the last 50 years (IPCC, 2014, while observations to date show that annual rainfall has been decreasing (McSweeney et al, 2010).

Currently, Uganda loses nearly 5,400 hectares of natural forest every month due to its population that heavily depends on wood fuel (WWF Uganda, 2016). However, forests as a key natural resource (under stress) stand as a starting entry point for Uganda at COP22, given their inclusion in the Paris Agreement.

In Uganda, forests among others provide energy, acts as key water catchments and landscape restoration, and moderate climate that is conducive to Uganda’s largely agricultural economy (Approximately 70% of the country’s population engages in subsistence, rain-fed agriculture and it derives significant income from exported crops). Within the confines of COP22, Uganda should harness multilateral interventions to supplement its efforts in building community resilience and reducing vulnerability to climate change.

For example, Article 5 of the Paris Agreement on GHG sinks and reservoirs and Reducing Emissions from deforestation and forest degradation, and the role of conservation, sustainable management of forests and enhancement of forest carbon stocks (REDD+), all Parties agreed to take action to conserve and enhance forests as sinks & reservoirs of GHG. In the same way, Parties are encouraged to take action and to implement and support REDD+ and Joint Mitigation and Adaptation (JMA).

It is particularly important to focus on pro-poor interventions in all these endeavors. For example, by promoting agroforestry practices, encouraging efficient biomass energy production and utilization technologies, increasing the efficiency in the use of biomass in the traditional energy sector and promoting renewable energy and other alternative energy sources.

Landmark Climate Change Agreement to Enter into Force | UNFCCC

Over 55 Parties covering More Than 55 per cent of Global Greenhouse Gas Emissions Ratify the Paris Climate Change Agreement

Entry into force triggers a variety of important consequences, including launch of the Agreement’s governing body, known as the CMA. In the parlance of the UN climate change process this stands for the Conference of the Parties to the Convention serving as the meeting of the Parties to the Paris Agreement.

Given that the count-down to entry into force has now been formally triggered, the CMA will take place at the upcoming annual UN climate conference, known as COP22, in Marrakesh, Morocco from November 7-18. Precise dates will be announced in the coming days.

Moreover, the Intended Nationally Determined Contributions (INDCs) – national climate action plans - of Parties which have joined or subsequently join the Agreement transform into Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), which can always be resubmitted as more ambitious plans at any point. A key feature of the Agreement is that these plans can be strengthened at any time but not weakened.

More: http://newsroom.unfccc.int/unfccc-newsroom/landmark-climate-change-agreement-to-enter-into-force/