Community Based Adaptation to Climate Change in Africa (CBAA)

Community Based Adaptation to Climate Change in Africa (CBAA) February 2010 LIVED EXPERIENCES: ADAPTATION TO CLIMATE CHANGE IN GOGONYO SUB-COUNTY, PALISA DISTRICT, UGANDA Susan Nanduddu Series editors: Judi W. Wakhungu, Joan Kariuki Kung’u and Charles Tonui COMMUNITY BASED ADAPTATION TO CLIMATE CHANGE IN AFRICA (CBAA) 1 COMMUNITY BASED ADAPTATION TO CLIMATE CHANGE IN AFRICA (CBAA) Introduction country and region with an index of PUT INDEX 2. The geography is characterized by limate change has become a extensive wetlands and lakes with low lying local phenomenon just as it grasslands. Livelihood activities include is global. The magnitude of majorly, rain-fed agriculture of perennials climate variability is now being including cassava, grazing and annuals Cfelt at almost all scales and in all regions including sweet potatoes, cotton and rice. with extreme events such as drought, Fishing for some communities close to the excessive rainfall, cold and heat waves as lakes and wetlands is a major livelihood well as dry spells affecting much of rural strategy which also provided employment Africa, Uganda inclusive. Climate change to youth and women involved in the adaptation has now become indispensable transportation and trade. The sub-county due to the increasing vulnerability of rural is also located in the cattle corridor which populations to the effects. Communities is a dry land ecosystem stretching from which are remotely located in countries southern Uganda to north eastern corner such as Uganda, have limited access to of the country. The sub county has a high social services, dependent on natural population density relative to neighboring resources for their livelihoods and may sub counties of 312 persons per sq km3. have limited opportunity to influence the Gogonyo Sub County has social, economic policies that affect their lives are, therefore, and environmental features that have likely to be more vulnerable. Gogonyo Sub- exposed it to the climate change risks. The County in Pallisa District, Eastern Uganda, area is lowly lying with natural sinks that represents some of these characteristics retain water forming lakes, large ponds and and has been affected lately by droughts, permanent wetlands such as Nakuwa4. excessive rainfall and dry spells, exposing The natural features couple with social people to hunger to such an extend that and economic factors and have increased some food handouts were distributed in the vulnerability of the population to climate area1. This report presents results of a study risks. Livelihoods have not been spared; that was conducted to assess the effects property and resources at the disposal of climate change on rural livelihoods of communities continue to be affected in Gogonyo with the aim of identifying negatively by the extreme weather events practical adaptation and mitigation experienced in the area. It is these factors strategies for the population. The study that motivated an in-depth study to analyze assesses community perceptions on climate the climate change impacts affecting the change, vulnerability. It also examines the area, impact on livelihoods, resources, impacts to livelihoods and socio-economic communities and how the communities are setup of the Gogonyo sub-county. responding and coping with the impacts. The study also examines the adaptation Study description and rationale measures already implemented by the communities. The rationale for this study is two pronged. On one hand the need for a Pallisa is one of the poorest districts in response to climate change impacts in rural Eastern Uganda, located in the plains of the Uganda has become more than catch phrase Lake Kioga drainage system. Gogonyo Sub- due to global and regional debates to a County is located to the west of the district response that is needed to reduce increasing and adjacent to the extensive wetlands of vulnerability of communities as a public Mpologoma River with numerous lakes that policy response. On the other hand, the study form part of the Kioga system. The area is also underpins the inherent development characterized by a mixture of two major challenges facing rural Uganda that are now tribes of Itesots and Bagwere. The sub- overlapping with climate change impacts. county is one of the poverty hotspots in the This is because climate change is worsening 2 COMMUNITY BASED ADAPTATION TO CLIMATE CHANGE IN AFRICA CBAA) the already grim social, economic and variation in space. Data are analyzed using environmental situation in rural Uganda various techniques and methods. Data on that innovative adaptation and mitigation climate change impacts and vulnerability measures are needed to defray climate was mainly collected using matrices change impacts but at the same time reduce that identified the unit impacted and the poverty and environmental degradation. potential climate change effect. This data yielded ranks based on experiences of the Objective to the study households. In addition data on wealth and resources available to households was • To assess the vulnerability of the community of Gogonyo Sub-County also collected and this was transformed to to the impacts of climate change, rankings using statistical transformation and document the adaptation options techniques to put all households to a similar practiced. scale of measuring their wealth ranks. • To identify adaptation mechanisms Wealth ranks are then utilized to analyze required to enhance community vulnerability and relate it to reported impacts resilience to the impacts of climate both at household level but also across space change through villages. A vulnerability index is calculated for households and villages to Methodology understand the patterns of vulnerability and give insights into entry points for The study was conducted through surveys, adaptation and mitigation measures. mapping and in-depth discussion with household heads or representatives in Livelihoods in Gogonyo the sub-county. A reconnaissance was conducted before the main survey to The primary occupation of households in establish the climate change impacts Gogonyo is agriculture and this combines and major livelihoods issues affected by both crop farming and grazing. Up to 90% of climate change impacts or enhancing the respondents are engaged in agriculture adaptation and mitigation. A total of 108 but they too have several other occupations. respondents were interviewed with a semi- The second and third ranked occupations structured questionnaire. The respondents are fishing and agricultural labor, the former were randomly selected in the villages related to the existing natural resources in based on random transects. For maximum form of extensive wetlands and lakes while cooperation and eliciting quality data as the latter related to high population in the much as possible, five local interviewers area coupled with low per capita land. were recruited with the support of Pallisa Low precipitate land for adult population Civil Society Network (PACONET) staff who has led to fragmentation of land but also are partners and very versed with the area. low marginal productivity of labor on Additionally local guides were recruited to household land that individuals mainly take the team through the villages ensuring youths look for waged jobs by providing randomness in selection and coverage labor for agricultural production on fields as possible. The interviewers and guides other than their own or those belonging were trained in data collection methods to the household. Non-agricultural labor, focusing on rapid rural appraisal and transport services by bicycle or motor cycle Global Positioning System (GPS) readings (commonly known as boda boda) were for locations. Interviews were conducted found not to be significant despite Gogonyo for four days and a community meeting was having a high youthful population mostly held two weeks later. GPS readings were engaged in the service industry, including taken for each interviewed household and transportation. Small businesses such as this data is utilized in the analysis to establish kiosks, shops and trading are also not vulnerability and climate change impacts common in the sub-county, mainly because COMMUNITY BASED ADAPTATION TO CLIMATE CHANGE IN AFRICA (CBAA) 3 COMMUNITY BASED ADAPTATION TO CLIMATE CHANGE IN AFRICA (CBAA) it is largely rural, with few hamlets to households are to recover from shocks provide household requirements. This of climate change effects. The limited implies heavy reliance on agriculture, available land for households also implies crop farming and livestock keeping. low productivity, although other factors Agriculture is also heavily rain-fed and such as management techniques, capital this condition is important in determining and inputs are important. In the context the vulnerability of households of climate change, the major livelihood and livelihoods to climate change. strategies of crop farming and grazing are susceptible to the risk of climate change Droughts, excessive rainfall, dry spells and have been affected seriously by recent and strong winds are risks to the major to past climate change extreme events. livelihoods of the people in Gogonyo. But as indicated in the table below, the amount of land available for a household Climate variability and change is important in determining the ability of An important study issue is climate change the household to respond to the climate variability and change in Gogonyo. This change risks. With an average 3.6 ha was done with two approaches. The first is of land for a household and average the analysis of actual climatic data for any household size of nine, it’s clear that significant variations in rainfall and this the pressure on land for agriculture is shows a significant decrease in amount high. Yet the minimal land has to be of rainfall by between 1 to 5 per cent over divided into fields for crops, grazing a 60 year period. The analysis of change and cash crops such as cotton. Land, also reveals variation of amounts received income and other resources available over the same period with a range of up to the households were utilized to rank 350 mm of rainfall in variation over the households by wealth.

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