Climate change fuelling food insecurity in West Nile

WEST NILE - The agriculture sector in Uganda is experiencing climate change effects manifested through, frequent, intense and prolonged dry spells, droughts, floods, increases in temperature and higher incidences of pests and diseases. 

This has resulted in shifts in farming seasons, which has led to loss and damages, and ultimately contributed to the low agriculture performance.

The West Nile region has not been spared from these climate change effects, which are partly being blamed for the growing food insecurity.

The Food Rights Alliance (FRA) and other stakeholders in the agricultural sector have raised alarm over the food insecurity affecting various parts of Uganda.

According to the census report by the Uganda Bureau of Statistics (UBOS) released last month, a food crisis across Uganda, particularly in the West Nile region looms. 

The report identifies sub-regions such as Karamoja, Bukedi, Teso, Lango, West Nile, and Elgon as having the highest percentages of households experiencing extreme food insecurity.

FRA chief Agnes Kirabo is concerned by the findings, saying Uganda, which has the largest share of East Africa’s arable land, is struggling with hunger.

“The National Census Report indicated that four in every ten people never had a meal yesterday, and they are not going to have a meal today. It actually indicated that there is severe food insecurity in Karamoja, in Acholi, in Teso, in West Nile, and some parts of Kabale. How, in the first place, can it happen in a country of plenty?” Kirabo said.

"The census report shows that four in every 10 people did not have a meal yesterday and will not have one today," Kirabo added during a national policy dialogue in Kampala, where stakeholders were discussing strategies to improve food security and create a sustainable future.

Rural residents most affected

The 2023 Twaweza Sauti za Wananchi survey indicates that there are worrying statistics about food insecurity, which it links to climate change.

The survey says seven in 10 Ugandans (66%) reported a decline in agricultural yields over the past 5-10 years.

The impact of climate and environmental changes is being felt at the household (82%), community (83%), and national (76%) levels, especially in rural areas where agriculture is the primary source of livelihood. According to the survey, the most common effects of climate change include low crop yields (40%) and food shortages (17%).

Rain-fed agriculture 

In West Nile, farmers, who rely heavily on rain-fed agriculture, are vulnerable to the region’s increasingly harsh climatic conditions, including prolonged droughts and heavy downpours, which have exacerbated food insecurity.

Daniel Iranya from Adjumani town council is among the farmers who have incurred great losses as a result. 

Iranya recounts losing over shillings 25 million from 50 acres of maize, which yielded only five tonnes instead of the expected 50 tonnes.

He fears that if the climate crisis is not mitigated, food insecurity will worsen.

The secretary community based and social services Koboko district Local Government, Isaac Todoko remarks.

Similarly, mother of three Mary Anguse from Koboko district reports a dramatic reduction in crop yields due to the extended dry spell. She has turned to growing short-term crops such as vegetables around her home to meet her family's nutritional needs.

“We are suffering here because I lost almost everything I planted in the first season but due to the knowledge I acquired on nutrition, I resort to planting short-term vegetables around my home such as dodo, sukuma wiki, Nakati and eggplants, which I can water and this helped me to balance nutritional needs at my home”, Said Anguse.

In Arua district, Faith Innocent Avako says unreliable weather patterns have devastated crops, leaving many households in her village eating one meal a day and contributing to rising malnutrition.

“This place has been a food basket for Arua district with fertile soils but the unreliable weather like prolonged drought has destroyed all the crops we planted in the first season and this has increased the rate of malnutrition in our area since most households only eat once in a day”, Avako testified.

Local leaders are struggling to address the crisis. According to Village Health Team (VHT) member Sadad Chandiga from Koboko district climate change effects have reached nearly every household, severely impacting nutrition.

Mitigation measures

She says farmers are now being encouraged to plant short-term crops and vegetables that can be watered during dry spells.

Koboko district community-based services secretary Isaac Todoko emphasizes the importance of growing crops such as maize and sweet potatoes to alleviate food insecurity.

Unicef nutrition specialist Hilder Kawuki also advised farmers to embrace food storage practices for dry foods to ensure availability during harsh seasons. She has encouraged communities to store crops like iron-rich beans and cowpeas, which can be dried and preserved.

Twaweza East Africa senior programme officer Marie Nanyanzi has urged policymakers and stakeholders to work together to address climate-induced food insecurity. She says a collective approach to mitigate the impact of changing weather patterns on households is needed.

According to the agriculture ministry,  amidst these challenges, the implementation of Climate Smart Agriculture practices has been supported for continued production.

However, its low scale of adoption has not enhanced sustainable management of natural resources and building of climate resilience.

Unity needed

Agriculture ministry commissioner for crop inspection Paul Mwambu echoed these concerns during World Food Day in Serere district last week.

He called for unity among government, farmers, private sector actors and civil society to ensure that all Ugandans have access to sufficient, safe and nutritious food.

Mwambu said food security is not just a goal but a moral obligation to create a prosperous and sustainable future for Uganda.

The global picture is equally not any better as the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) says 730 million people worldwide suffered from hunger in 2023.

In Uganda, the 2023 Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) report estimated that 1.73 million people face acute food insecurity, while the Twaweza survey showed that 57% of Ugandans believe the climate change effects are worsening, with 86% concerned about its effects on their lives.

Globally, over 2.8 billion people cannot afford a healthy diet, which shows the need for action to combat food insecurity exacerbated by climate change.