Dr. Ayub Mukisa: Karamoja and Climate Change: Why Existing Responses Are Failing

To understand the current climate change crisis, particularly the steadily increasing temperatures and how they are directly threatening the livelihoods of the Karimojong people, it is important to consider existing research and the realities on the ground. Chaplin (2017) argued that although the Karamoja region suffers from unfavorable weather conditions, little is known about the impacts of climate change on household food security and, more importantly, the ability of households to adapt over time. Today, this concern remains highly relevant as rising temperatures continue to place local farmers’ crops at serious risk, with few practical solutions available to address the problem.

Agriculture in Karamoja is largely subsistence-based and characterized by small plots of land with minimal or no agricultural inputs such as fertilizer, irrigation, or improved seed varieties. One of the biggest challenges facing farmers in Manyatta homesteads is the scarcity of reliable climate data and information. Many farmers do not know when temperatures are likely to increase, by how much they will rise, or what practical actions they should take to cope with these changes. As a result, many simply wait and hope for divine intervention, a response that is inadequate and potentially dangerous in the context of climate change adaptation.

While drought remains one of the most complex, devastating, and least understood natural disasters, there is an urgent need in Karamoja to strengthen climate information services and promote practical adaptation mechanisms for farmers. If current global temperature trends continue, the fragile region could soon face severe consequences, including famine, escalating conflict over scarce resources, displacement, migration, and the tragic loss of livestock and human lives.

Therefore, a critical question must be asked: although different agencies have invested heavily in resilience and adaptation programs in Karamoja, are these interventions genuinely building the adaptive capacity of the Karimojong people, or are they unintentionally pushing communities toward maladaptation? My appeal to all stakeholders involved in climate change resilience and advocacy in Karamoja is simple: this is the time to act. Climate information must be disseminated more widely and adaptation efforts strengthened before the situation gets out of control.

The author is the Executive Director, Karamoja Anti-Corruption Coalition (KACC)
Email: ayubmukisa@gmail.com

 

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