Climate variability and change poses challenges for livelihoods and ecosystems in Uganda. About 30% of Ugandans depend on agriculture, forestry, livestock, and fisheries, which are sensitive to climate fluctuations. 20% of Uganda contains lakes, rivers, and wetlands that provide important resources but are vulnerable to climate impacts. Changes in temperature, precipitation, and other factors can affect water levels, circulation, species composition, and food webs in aquatic systems. Local communities have adapted practices like diversifying livelihoods, but coordinated efforts are needed to strengthen resilience through policies, awareness-raising, and capacity building. The National Fisheries Resources Research Institute is collecting data on climate impacts in lakes Wamala and Kawi to

1. Background navigation facilities and can even cause desiccation
Climate variability and change is an of an aquatic system. Fluctuations in precipitation
environmental, social and economic challenge affect water availability, water quantity, quality,
contributing to poverty, water and food insecurity, water-table, infrastructure, navigation facilities,
sanitation, health and infrastructural problems. and may flood riparian zones and affect
About 30% of Ugandans are poor and food ecosystems, productivity and displace
Addressing impacts of climate insecure and 70% of them derive their livelihoods communities. Shallow aquatic systems are
variability and change on riparian from crops, forestry, livestock and fisheries which affected mainly through flooding and desiccation
and aquatic ecosystems, fisheries are sensitive to climate variability and change. while in deep ones, water circulation is important.
There is need to understand how these impacts
and livelihoods About 20% of Uganda is covered by lakes, rivers affect ecosystems, resources of specific aquatic
and wetlands which are important sources of fish, systems and of people depending upon them..
water for agriculture, domestic and industrial use,
navigation, biodiversity conservation, modulation Interaction with non-climatic factors
of local climate, and other ecosystem services. Climate parameters do not operate in isolation but
Freshwater systems and resources are highly interact with non-climatic factors including: over-
vulnerable to climate variability and change exploitation; non-native species introductions;
depending on their size, depth and trophic status nutrient enrichment; pollutants and contaminants;
and require innovations to safeguard them. modification of flow and riparian zones; land use
Climate variability and change can act patterns; poverty; market and population factors to
independently or interact with non-climate stresses affect resources and livelihoods. These should be
to impact aquatic resources and livelihoods. considered when addressing climate issues.
Impacts and manifestation of climate change Adaptation and coping strategies
Climate variability and change is manifested Adaptations are required to respond to
through increases in temperature, fluctuations in opportunities and threats to resources and
precipitation, and other weather factors. Rising livelihoods due to climate variability and change.
National Agricultural Research temperatures increase evaporation, wind and storm Small-scale fishers and riparian communities have
Organisation (NARO),
intensities and affect water circulation, cause responded by adjusting and taking on other
National Fisheries Resources
Research Institute (NaFIRRI, stratification which affects circulation of nutrients, livelihood occupations such as: diversifying to
Plot 39/45 Nile Crescent, productivity of phytoplankton and invertebrates, crops, livestock, forestry and other income
P. O. Box 343, Jinja Uganda and disrupts food-webs. It alters physiology, generating activities; changing and diversifying
Fax 256-343-120192, composition, diversity, distribution, abundance, fisheries operations; migrating to less affected
Email: firi@firi.go.ug community structure, timing and regime shift of areas; or resorting to social capital and community
URL. www.firi.go.ug fishes and fisheries and effects oxygen circulation support. There is need to collectively prioritize
which enhances anoxia. It increases evaporation and agree on the most suitable locally available
Cover photo: Water gauges of Lake Wamala on
land due to falling water levels and enhances drought, alters water levels, affects and affordable strategies to improve them and

2. provide early warning systems to increase Action plan The project
resilience and improve livelihoods. National Fisheries Resources Research Institute The project is collecting data on: climate
(NaFIRRI) of NARO with support from The parameters; riparian ecosystems, physico-chemical
Policies, legislation and governance Rockefeller Foundation has initiated a process of parameters, lake productivity processes,
The changes due to climate variability and change developing a system to address the above issues composition, relative abundance and life history of
introduce uncertainties that require flexibility in starting with two small shallow lakes which have fishes and fisheries; Examining interactions
policy, legislation and governance systems. historically manifested vulnerability to climate between climate and non-climate factors;
Development of policies, regulations and variability and change - Wamala in the Victoria Conducting socio-economics, livelihoods and
governance systems that are dynamic and provide basin, and Kawi in the Kyoga basin. vulnerability analyses; Developing, prioritizing,
for changes in ecosystems, fisheries and agreeing upon and testing adaptation and coping
livelihoods, agreed adaptation and coping strategies in collaboration with small-scale fishers
strategies are a pre-requisite to strengthening the and riparian communities and identifying
abilities of communities to exploit available government and non-government mechanisms
livelihood options. through which these can be promoted; Examining
and proposing changes to policies, regulations and
Increasing awareness governance systems to accommodate agreed
Climate variability and change is an expanding adaptation and coping strategies; Increasing
global problem but is little understood and awareness through publications, talks, messaging,
appreciated by different stakeholders. There is and workshops; and Introducing the knowledge
need for concerted efforts by scientists, policy generated in training programs in academic
makers and communities for information to institutions and supporting training programs.
increase awareness to guide adaptation and coping Rice gardens along riparian papyrus on Lake Kawi
strategies. Prepared By:
Ogutu-Ohwayo R., K.N. Odongkara, W. Okello.
This will subsequently be extended to deeper lakes
National Fisheries Resources Research Institute.
Capacity building such as Albert and Victoria which have Jinja, Uganda.
Climate variability and change has not been part of experienced changes in lake levels due to extreme
many research and educational programs or climate events and where climate variability and
curricula. The capacity to address climate change change is expected to affect mixing and lake
in many sectors is weak and fisheries are no productivity processes including shifting fish
exception. There is need for targeted efforts to communities. The project hopes to improve Supported By:
build capacity of research, academic, policy and understanding of impacts of climate variability and The Rockefeller Foundation
community institutions to generate and share change on riparian ecosystems, resources and
information with other climate change centers of livelihoods, and to develop adaptation and coping
excellence, incorporate climate change science into strategies to increase resilience and to share the
fisheries training curricula, prepare training experience in the African Great Lake s and Nile
materials, and conduct training. basin regions.