Effect of Climate change on Water resources in Uganda

Effect of Climate change on Water resources in Uganda
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The Great Lake basins are among the most economically productive regions in East Africa and they are home for over 60 million inhabitants. Significant variations in climate could have significant impacts on water resources, agriculture, health and other social-economic factors in the region.

Uganda as one of the countries located within the Great Lake region has 241,038 km² of land mass, out of which 43,941 km² is occupied by open water and swamps. Among the water sources, lakes, rivers and wetlands comprise of about 18% of the total surface area of Uganda. Lake Victoria which is the second largest freshwater lake in the world is the principle source of the White Nile River. Uganda has equatorial type of climate because of its location within the equator with moderately humid and hot conditions throughout the year and has two alternating seasons in a year on either side (north and south) of the equator, thus rainy and dry seasons. Water resources is one of the priorities in Uganda, as it directly and greatly impacts in the quality of life of the people and productivity of the population. Uganda has an annual average of 2,800 m³ of water available per capita. The total annual renewable water resources are estimated to be 66 km³, making Uganda a better country in terms of its capacity in renewal water resources than many other African countries.

Rapid population growth, increased urbanization and industrialization, uncontrolled environmental degradation and pollution are however, some of the challenges affecting the utilization of freshwater resources in Uganda today. These problems have been aggravated by the gradual increase in the average temperature of the earth - Global Warming, over the past decades. Climate change is affecting surface water established by rainfall and glacial melting, the most prominent impact of this climate change in Uganda has seen already a 40% reduction in the ice caps on Rwenzori Mountains compared to the recorded cover of 1955. This is prospected to disappear even more within the next two decades, affecting wildlife species and increasing the erosive power of the nearby River Semliki.

The temperature change and rainfall which are decisive for crop and livestock production in Uganda and other countries are determinant factors of production in Agriculture. Frequent droughts as currently reported in north eastern part of Uganda (Karamoja region) could lower the water table, already a number of boreholes in northern and north eastern Uganda are getting dryer as a result of lowered water table affecting the rural poor and the cattle corridor most. The scenario means falling crop yields threatening food security. Increased temperatures have already been reported to impact on agricultural crops like coffee; shrinking ecological range of coffee will impose threat to Uganda’s economy, cassava and soya and lead to the emergency of new pests. Much as rains are decreasing in amount, they often fall in concentrated heavy showers and storms, leading to floods in lowlands and landslides in highlands. Uganda is still recovering from the effects of floods that hit the north and eastern regions recently.

Furthermore, Climate change is emerging as a major threat to health and adding pressure on public health systems in Uganda and thought to directly contribute to changes in the geographic distribution of vector-borne diseases such as malaria and epidemics of meningococcal meningitis, Rift Valley fever and cholera in and cholera have increased throughout the country and have reached "epidemic proportions" in previously unaffected areas. Other waterborne diseases and epidemics of acute diarrhoea are rampant in flooded areas.

Uganda’s economy depends on agriculture and Uganda’s climate offers great potential for food production. But prolonged and frequent drought as well as floods virtually affects food supply including water resources which is known to play a pivotal role for sustainable development and poverty reduction in Uganda. Climate change is therefore a serious risk to poverty reduction and threatens to undo decades of development efforts through destruction of infrastructure, property and lives. Indeed, it is threatening to frustrate poverty eradication programmes and the Millennium Development Goals.

Uganda’s Intervention strategies
Uganda is among other least developed countries which is most vulnerable to the adverse effects of climate change. To respond to this, the government of Uganda has taken a lead by developing and adopting Uganda National Adaptation Programmes of Action (NAPA) as a commitment to combat adverse effect of climate change in the country. Uganda NAPA stipulates coping and/or intervention strategies and implantation action plans both at grassroots and national levels to combat climate change. However, some of the challenges that might impact on the efficient and effective implantation of the Uganda NAPA include; inadequate understanding of climate change and its impacts thereby creating a barrier to resource allocation by sectors coupled with inadequate technical capacity; inadequate financial resources; and weak institutional and coordinating mechanisms.

With respect to water sector in particular, Uganda NAPA outline intensified dramatic use and abuse of and competition for increasingly precious water resources over the past decades and the its vulnerability as a result of climate change and that water shortages, water quality degradation and aquatic ecosystem destruction are seriously affecting prospects for economic and social development, political stability, as well as ecosystem integrity. Therefore, given the importance of water to poverty alleviation, human and ecosystem health, the management of the water resources becomes of central importance. Uganda NAPA did not however, specifically and directly mention Integrated Water Resource Management (IWRM) as one of the approaches to resolve the challenges impose on water resource in relation to climate change. Yet IWRM is one of key priorities if sustainable water resources development and management is to be achieved. Uganda NAPA should response by emphasising an integrated approach to water resource management for effective, sustainable and equitable uses of water. This approach would advocate a move towards a more integrated and coordinated water development and management process than is currently practiced through effective water governance. Stakeholders at all levels should be encouraged to work together in more effective, efficient and collaborative ways.