MoW&E presentation Dec 2011.ppt learn more

learn more

1. NATIONAL POPULATION AND
DEVELOPMENT CONFERENCE, SPEKE
RESORT MUNYONYO
O7
Th
- 09
Th
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 [phone]
[email protected]

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

5. Introduction
Human 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)

7. 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

10. Droughts and Floods
Drought and floods in eastern Uganda

11. Climate change and environmental impacts

12. Climate Change and environmental impacts
Impacts of Bushenyi storm (heavy rains and strong winds and thurnder), 2009

13. Climate change and environmental Impacts
Impact of Bududa landslide, 2010

14. Climate change and environmental impact

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