We need to educate Ugandans about response to climate change

The second presidential debate posed a question about climate change to two of the eight candidates. That climate change could feature in a Ugandan presidential debate is laudable.

For me, it speaks to the increased realisation of the threats posed by climate change to lives, development efforts, and therefore the need to address them.

The question posed to candidate Benon Biraro and candidate Elton Joseph Mabirizi was as follows: “How will you ensure that Uganda benefits from the climate funds once voted president?”

The responses by both candidates related to increasing investments in agriculture, specifically towards adaptation options around irrigation and storage.

One candidate also emphasised the need to increase investments in tourism as a way of diversifying sources of livelihood.

These are good adaptation proposals which have been articulated in the National Climate Change policy, for which the incoming government should prioritise implementation.

Adopting renewable sources of energy; promoting efficient mass public transport, including buses; and planting trees while protecting our natural forests, should also be supported as they play a major role in mitigating future climate change.

Addressing climate change in agriculture, the largest source of livelihoods in Uganda, requires a shift from traditional farming to methods that increase productivity amid uncertainty. For instance, agro-forestry and mulching are old techniques that still work when supplemented by other techniques.

We need to quickly embrace climate change information, make use of weather forecasts, and adopt appropriate technologies in water harvesting, irrigation, drying and storage.

This will likely boost production, reduce post-harvest losses and focus energies towards efficiency and effectiveness of trade that is guaranteed to enhance the dignity of the people of Uganda.

At the global level, the world has already prioritised climate action in the Sustainable Development Goals, which replaced the Millennium Development Goals; and in the Paris Agreement of 2015, a legally binding global climate change response mechanism that will come into force in the year 2020.

Opportunities for accessing global finance to address climate change are already available and Uganda has to build capacity to increasingly develop bankable projects in order to access such finance.

For example, the Adaptation Fund, Least Developed Countries Fund and Green Climate Fund, exist for vulnerable countries to support their efforts in addressing climate change. But how can Uganda attract such funds?

Governments can access funds directly through a National Implementing Entity or National Designated Authority or through already established multilateral implementing entities such as the United Nations Development Programme through accreditation by the funding mechanism.

For the Green Climate Funds in particular, recipient countries are allowed direct access through accredited sub-national, national and regional implementing entities they set up as long as these implementing entities fulfil certain fiduciary standards, including key administrative and financial capacity, transparency and accountability, and project/programme management. It is advantageous for government of Uganda to access funds directly as it enhances ownership.
The government should also consider establishing a fund into which climate funds can be deposited before awarding grants to projects. This is necessary to track financial flow into the country and for accountability.