Effect of Climate Change and Food Security in Uganda

Abstract

This chapter on climate change and food security: Friends or Foes, describes the state of climate and food security in Uganda, the relationship between climate change and food security, causes of climate changes, and its effects on food security. It further discusses what the government and other stakeholders are doing to address the dangers of climate change so as to ensure food security. The discussion is premised on the understanding that global warming is a reality and this phenomenon is as a result of natural and human activities. The human activities like the ongoing deforestation, combustion of fossil fuels, and production of agricultural commodities and livestock cause a lot of emission of carbon dioxide and significant rise of other greenhouse gasses into the atmosphere. “Greenhouse” gases absorb energy radiated from Earth to space and warm the atmosphere. In Uganda, evidence from the National Environmental Management Authority show that the rate of climate change is alarming. Like in other developing countries, the significant contributor to climate change in Uganda is human factors like rapid deforestation, land degradation, increased industrialization, uncontrolled population, and other factors. These human factors have caused climate stress has invariably contributed to food insecurity. It is in discussing such that this chapter focuses to assess the viability of the efforts the government has put to address them so as to achieve food security.