Climate change is a threat to livelihoods
Jun 04, 2007
AS we celebrate this year’s World Environmental Day, it is pertinent to reflect on issues concerning climate change and people’s socio-economic well-being. This will not only be as a matter of academic discourse, but as part of the development planning and policy making processes at different le
By Denis Kabuuka
AS we celebrate this year’s World Environmental Day, it is pertinent to reflect on issues concerning climate change and people’s socio-economic well-being. This will not only be as a matter of academic discourse, but as part of the development planning and policy making processes at different levels.
This year’s theme focuses on the effects of climate change on polar ecosystems and communities worldwide.
A recent report from the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO, 2005) states that “in some 54 poor developing countries, production losses due to climate change may increase the number of undernourished people thus hindering progress in combating poverty and food insecurityâ€.
The Millennium Ecosystem Assessment report by the World Resources Institute in 2005 also notes that poor people who depend on ecosystem services and products will be most vulnerable. Due to shorter, drier growing seasons and more frequent drought, agricultural and fisheries productivity are projected to decrease.
Changes in temperature will also lead to increase in the frequency of pests and disease outbreaks, including malaria and cholera.
Many NGOs including Sustainable Livelihoods International (SLINT) -Uganda believe that through the adoption of appropriate technologies and practices, sound policies and positive attitudes, it is possible for people to contribute to the control of climate change.
SLINT promotes the concept of sustainable livelihoods as a goal, approach and guiding operational framework for its activities and programmes.
Livelihood refers to what people do to earn a living. A livelihood is sustainable when it:
Allows people to meet their needs
Is able to cope with and recover easily from environmental and socio-economic stresses.
Improving people’s livelihoods in a sustainable manner involves ensuring that people have equitable and secure access to resources and opportunities.
Irrespective of what part of Uganda people are from, the bottom line is being able to access the basics of life — food, water, shelter, energy, health care, leisure, freedom and security.
The fact that many of the rural poor in Uganda have limited access to basic resources, there a need to expand opportunities that have less advance effects on climate change. SLINT-Uganda is empowering poor people to diversify their livelihood opportunities through engaging in different environmentally-friendly income-generating activities and off-farm micro enterprises. The activities empower people to become active agents of sustainable and equitable development, promote an understanding that communities are pivotal to changing attitudes towards environmental issues and advocate partnership, which will ensure all people enjoy a safer and more prosperous future without harming the climate. on which they depend, and; ensuring enhanced local availability of basic livelihood resources (food, clean water, sustainable energy and others), improved nutrition and employment for the poor.
It is not debatable anymore if environmental degradation and climate change are undermining human well-being. We have to devise new tools and foster the adoption of appropriate technologies that would empower people to secure “good lifeâ€.
The biggest challenge in Uganda is fighting poverty without compromising the environment and its natural resources.
Poverty is highest among the rural populations and sometimes in the struggle to meet their basic daily needs, they inevitably over-use the few resources available and in the process compromise their own long-term sources of livelihood. There is a need to assist the poor to address this challenge.
A number of options exist, including: introduction of appropriate technologies; capacity-building and empowerment of individuals and groups through training, technical assistance and extension services in order to build appropriate local skills, knowledge and attitudes; public awareness in a wide range of socio-cultural and environmental issues; provision of access to credit and other resources as well as ensuring equitable access to markets and opportunities to generate household incomes. SLINT-Uganda and other NGOs such as Environmental Alert, CARE-Uganda and World Vision International are playing a key role in this regard.
As we celebrate this year’s World Environment Day, it is important to remember that natural resources, ecosystem services and the environment in general are the foundations for human well-being.
Therefore, socio-economic well-being and poverty alleviation should be pursued while at the same time safeguarding the long-term sustainability those finite natural assets. It should not be a case of either development or the environment.
The writer is the Executive Director of Sustainable Livelihoods International- Uganda
AS we celebrate this year’s World Environmental Day, it is pertinent to reflect on issues concerning climate change and people’s socio-economic well-being. This will not only be as a matter of academic discourse, but as part of the development planning and policy making processes at different levels.
This year’s theme focuses on the effects of climate change on polar ecosystems and communities worldwide.
A recent report from the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO, 2005) states that “in some 54 poor developing countries, production losses due to climate change may increase the number of undernourished people thus hindering progress in combating poverty and food insecurityâ€.
The Millennium Ecosystem Assessment report by the World Resources Institute in 2005 also notes that poor people who depend on ecosystem services and products will be most vulnerable. Due to shorter, drier growing seasons and more frequent drought, agricultural and fisheries productivity are projected to decrease.
Changes in temperature will also lead to increase in the frequency of pests and disease outbreaks, including malaria and cholera.
Many NGOs including Sustainable Livelihoods International (SLINT) -Uganda believe that through the adoption of appropriate technologies and practices, sound policies and positive attitudes, it is possible for people to contribute to the control of climate change.
SLINT promotes the concept of sustainable livelihoods as a goal, approach and guiding operational framework for its activities and programmes.
Livelihood refers to what people do to earn a living. A livelihood is sustainable when it:
Allows people to meet their needs
Is able to cope with and recover easily from environmental and socio-economic stresses.
Improving people’s livelihoods in a sustainable manner involves ensuring that people have equitable and secure access to resources and opportunities.
Irrespective of what part of Uganda people are from, the bottom line is being able to access the basics of life — food, water, shelter, energy, health care, leisure, freedom and security.
The fact that many of the rural poor in Uganda have limited access to basic resources, there a need to expand opportunities that have less advance effects on climate change. SLINT-Uganda is empowering poor people to diversify their livelihood opportunities through engaging in different environmentally-friendly income-generating activities and off-farm micro enterprises. The activities empower people to become active agents of sustainable and equitable development, promote an understanding that communities are pivotal to changing attitudes towards environmental issues and advocate partnership, which will ensure all people enjoy a safer and more prosperous future without harming the climate. on which they depend, and; ensuring enhanced local availability of basic livelihood resources (food, clean water, sustainable energy and others), improved nutrition and employment for the poor.
It is not debatable anymore if environmental degradation and climate change are undermining human well-being. We have to devise new tools and foster the adoption of appropriate technologies that would empower people to secure “good lifeâ€.
The biggest challenge in Uganda is fighting poverty without compromising the environment and its natural resources.
Poverty is highest among the rural populations and sometimes in the struggle to meet their basic daily needs, they inevitably over-use the few resources available and in the process compromise their own long-term sources of livelihood. There is a need to assist the poor to address this challenge.
A number of options exist, including: introduction of appropriate technologies; capacity-building and empowerment of individuals and groups through training, technical assistance and extension services in order to build appropriate local skills, knowledge and attitudes; public awareness in a wide range of socio-cultural and environmental issues; provision of access to credit and other resources as well as ensuring equitable access to markets and opportunities to generate household incomes. SLINT-Uganda and other NGOs such as Environmental Alert, CARE-Uganda and World Vision International are playing a key role in this regard.
As we celebrate this year’s World Environment Day, it is important to remember that natural resources, ecosystem services and the environment in general are the foundations for human well-being.
Therefore, socio-economic well-being and poverty alleviation should be pursued while at the same time safeguarding the long-term sustainability those finite natural assets. It should not be a case of either development or the environment.
The writer is the Executive Director of Sustainable Livelihoods International- Uganda