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KAMPALA - Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) advocating for climate justice have implored the government and development partners to commit more funds to support agroecology if more Ugandans are to mitigate the effects of climate change.

Agroecology simply means the use of nature-given solutions in advancing agriculture and improving yields, especially by positioning small-scale farmers where they can withstand the effects of climate change.

CSOs argue that with agroecology, farmers can be supported to use basic irrigation that is accessible to them on top of homemade manure, to diversify their agriculture productions including animal husbandry and cultivation of crops on the scale of land they have.

The call was made during the Climate Justice Symposium, one of the activities in the climate justice week, at Makerere University on Thursday.

The symposium that was planned under the theme ‘From words to action, putting your money where your mouth is,’ was organized by Action Aid International Uganda, government, Vijana corps, Pelum Uganda, Global Platform Uganda, and Community Transformation Agenda.

While addressing the symposium, Xavier Ejoyi, the Country Director ActionAid International Uganda said to improve agroecology in the country, there is need for government and development partners to invest more in agronomic practices to help people know that despite the effects of climate change that is heating hard, they can still grow crops and rear crops to diversify their income and livelihoods.

“Agroecology will help Ugandans to have food sovereignty where locals produce their own food and animals to restore nature and at the same time improve their livelihoods,” he said.

He said adequate funding to relevant implementing partners of agroecology will help communities have a suitable number of experts that can offer professional help to farmers, who are most affected by the effects of climate change.   

Ejoyi called on the government to put in place a policy, a strategy, and possibly legislation that will result in adequate streamlined funding of the said farming practice.

He urged politicians and other stakeholders not to demonize agroecology since it can help millions of people fight both famine and poverty. 

Environmental activists match in a climate justice solidarity match to the climate justice symposium at Makerere University. This was in Kampala on May 16, 2024. (All Photos by Lawrence Mulondo)

Impoverished communities suffer most

Mercy Grace Munduru, the head of programs and fundraising at Action Aid International Uganda said there is need for all development partners to fund mitigation programs for climate change effects.

She explained that it is communities that are already impoverished that are receiving the end of climate change impact, with their livelihood being affected and, in some instances, lives lost.

“We cannot talk about climate justice without speaking about the rights of people like women who are at the frontline of the harm,” she said.

Munduru said women must be more protected from the effects of climate change adding that these contribute to bringing life and contribute 70% to the agricultural sector.

Munduru noted that “If this percentage does not cultivate, the world will not have food, and if there is no food there will be no life.”

Betty Ocwee an environmental activist from Northern Uganda called on government to offer protection to those fighting environmental degradation adding that many of these have their lives threatened by perpetrators with a number of them reporting torture cases.

She said as a result of the recent heat waves, many women in the region got miscarriages and called for environmental restoration to prevent this from increasing.

Ocwee rallied all people to stand up and stop whatever is not right in the communities regardless of the challenges.

Denis Pato the Executive Director Vijana corps as a result of floods and drought, hundreds of homesteads have been relocated with livelihoods lost and at worst scenarios lives lost in Wadelai communities Pakwach district.

According to Pato, the rising effects of climate change are a result of mass environment degradation practices like cutting down trees for charcoal among others.

The climate justice funding calls are coming in as the country is recording the highest water levels of Lake Victoria in history.

The country has also lost lives in flooding and mudslides in districts of Bunyangabo, Kasese, Obongi, and Bududa, among other calamities.