Groundswell Africa : A Deep Dive Into Internal Climate Migration in Uganda
Uganda is a diverse and verdant country. From the tall volcanic mountains along the eastern and western borders to the densely forested wetlands of the Albert Nile River and the rainforests in the center of the country, it encompasses many differen...
| Main Authors: | , , , , |
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| Format: | Report |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
World Bank, Washington, DC
2021
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| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/undefined/101161634533716676/Groundswell-Africa-A-Deep-Dive-Into-Internal-Climate-Migration-in-Uganda http://hdl.handle.net/10986/36447 |
| Summary: | Uganda is a diverse and verdant
country. From the tall volcanic mountains along the eastern
and western borders to the densely forested wetlands of the
Albert Nile River and the rainforests in the center of the
country, it encompasses many different ecosystems. Kampala,
the capital city, is built around seven hills not far from
the shores of Lake Victoria. These varying landscapes
provide Ugandans with ample resources to capitalize on
tourism and cultivate crops, including Ugandan coffee, which
has become a favorite of coffee drinkers around the world.
These rich and beautiful landscapes, however, are under
threat from climate change, which could have disastrous
effects for Ugandans. This report shows that by 2050, as
many as 12 million people, or 11 percent of the population
could move within Uganda because of slow onset climate
factors, without concrete climate and development action.
Immediate, rapid, and aggressive action on the cutting down
emissions as a global community and pursuing inclusive
resilient development at the national level could bring down
this scale of climate migration by about 35 per cent.
Contextualizing the results from an innovative climate
migration model applied to Lake Victoria Basin countries, it
finds that such climate-induced migration, if unattended,
may deepen existing vulnerabilities across the country,
potentially leading to greater poverty, fragility, and
conflict. As lives, livelihoods, and the economy are
integrally linked to the environment, addressing climate
change is an imperative for Uganda. Adopting inclusive
development policies that reduce greenhouse gas emissions
and integrate climate resilience could decrease the number
of internal migrants significantly. Acting early and
focusing on improved management of forest and other
landscapes, developing local job opportunities, and
providing basic services for both host communities and
refugees will be important to help these communities survive
and thrive in a changing climate. The right mix of policies
would also encourage the ingenuity and energy of Uganda’s
youthful population, which is projected to almost triple by 2050. |
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