Climate change activists in Uganda have called upon people to desist from practices that fuel climate change, arguing that women and girls often suffer consequences especially on the African Continent.

According to the activists under the Mothers’ Rebellion for Climate Justice Uganda has been known for having a tropical climate characterized by stable rainfall patterns, however, the effects of climate change are turning the seasons around with the country experiencing shorter or longer rains and harsher droughts in some parts.

“The country is experiencing erratic rainfalls leading to frequent busting of rivers, mudslides, and landslides that are leaving mostly women and girls displaced on top of destroying livelihoods,” they said.

The activists made the call as they joined the rest of the world to commemorate International Mother’s Day and demonstrate their commitment to a sustainable world for generations now and those to come in Kira Municipality yesterday.

The less responsible are the most affected.

Caroline Alupo, the Co-Founder of Mothers’ Rebellion for Climate Justice Uganda explained that climate change disproportionately affects low-income communities throughout the world and that the people and places affected are often least responsible for the climate emergency.

Women, children and men with placards demand for action against climate change. This was during a press conference to commemorate the International Mother’s Day and demonstrating commitment to a sustainable world for generations now and those to come in KiIra Municipality. (All photos by Lawrence Mulondo)

Africa as a continent is responsible for only 3% of the world’s carbon dioxide emissions from energy and industrial sources; however, it suffers from the effects of climate change.

Alupo said women are affected most because, in some continents in Africa, they have many responsibilities ranging from feeding their families to taking care of school fees and health.

“When climate crises happen, often women have to move long distances to search for food and water which affects their productivity in society,” she said.

“Sometimes they are exposed to higher risks like trafficking, sexual violence and become victims of domestic violence as a result of the climate crisis.”

She further noted that because of the effects of climate change, there has been an increase in the number of girls dropping out of schools and being forced into marriages on top of malnutrition in children because of starvation and famine.

She explained that they are up to remind people that they can and must respond to climate change now and that every person has to fight it, not just politicians.”

Climate change activists called upon people to desist from practices that fuel climate change.

Call for more irrigation agriculture

Evelyn Acham of Climate Justice for Healthy Communities said there is a need to invest more in irrigated agriculture in the country for women to mitigate some of the climate change effects.

“We can achieve irrigation agriculture to increase food production with the help of climate adaptation finance by development partners,” she said.

She explained that the climate change adaptation finance is the fund ($100b) that was promised by the Western world back in 2021 to be given to vulnerable countries annually starting in 2020.

Acham however said three years later the above promise has never been honored.

According to activists, Uganda alone from 1900 to 2022, has encountered over 20 floods, 40epidemics, 9 droughts and five landslides, leaving cumulative damages amounting to $80m in economic losses.

As a way of getting climate justice, the activists now want the biggest contributors to climate change to offer financial and technical support to vulnerable countries to enable them to mitigate the effects of climate change.