The Office of the Prime Minister and Compassion International have launched a 5-year collaborative plan to respond and manage different disaster situations in light of the emerging challenges associated with climate change.

The plan will include preventing, responding and managing disasters that are common in Uganda including landslides and flooding, famine and fires among others.

The assistant commissioner in charge of disaster management in the Office of the Prime Minister, Rose Nakabugo, said that the collaboration with other stakeholders is critical for timely response and management of disaster situations.

She urged Ugandans to preserve the environment as the first line to preventing disasters.

She made the remarks while speaking at the close of the training workshop through which over 100 persons working closely with Compassion International in it’s over 400 networks of churches were trained on how to handle disasters.

Statistics indicate that over 1,000 people lost their lives in Uganda between January and November 2023 due to severe impact of natural and man-made calamities. (File photo)

The National Coordinator Compassion International, Emmanuel Ahimbisibwe, said that the organization would provide funding and equipment that can be used to respond to the disaster situations depending on the mapping done for each region.

He also explained the importance of this collaboration with Government taking into account the already existing disaster threats.

Statistics indicate that over 1,000 people lost their lives in Uganda between January and November 2023 due to severe impact of natural and man-made calamities.

According to a report compiled by the department of relief, disaster preparedness, and management in the Office of the Prime Minister, the country experienced a total of 1,088 disaster events.

Accidents accounted for the majority at 51.1%, followed by fires at 22.9%, drowning at 9.6%, arson at 3.2%, electrocution at 3.1%, cattle rustling at 2.6%, and other incidents at 7.0%.

A breakdown of the fatalities revealed that 69.3% of the 1,066 deaths resulted from accidents, 14.3% from drowning, 3.7% from cattle rustling, 3.5% from electrocution, 2.3% from fires, and 6.9% from other causes.

The first national risk and vulnerability atlas, launched in 2021, identified disaster hotspots in Uganda, with the general population, health centers, schools, residential areas, roads, warehouses, and water supply systems being the most at-risk facilities.

The findings highlighted specific regions prone to certain disasters, such as drought affecting Karamoja, Teso, West Nile, and cattle corridor areas, while floods dominated Elgon, Bukedi, Rwenzori, Teso, Karamoja, Buliisa, Nakasongola, Acholi, and West Nile regions.

Lightning hotspots were identified in Bushenyi, Mitooma, Rukungiri, Kanungu, Busia, Namutumba, Bukwo, Kalangala, Buvuma, Adjumani, Nwoya, Amuru, and Lamwo districts. The western arm of the Rift Valley, Kagera area, and around Lake Victoria basin were pinpointed as more likely to experience earthquakes.

Additionally, hailstorms were common in Elgon, Bukedi, Central, and Western areas, while windstorms prevailed in Bukedi, Teso, Ankole, Bunyoro, Rwenzori, and south western Uganda.