Stephen Koma (left)- Assistant Commissioner in charge of District Inspection in the Ministry of Local Government, receives keys for one of the motorcycles from Antonio Querido- FAO Country Representative in Uganda

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) donated 190 motorcycles to government agencies and organizations that will help to implement various climate change programmes in 29 districts in Uganda, that are very vulnerable to the effects of the changing climate.

The 29 beneficiary districts that received the motorcycles through various implementing partners are Gomba, Kalungu, Kiboga, Luwero, Lyantonde, Mubende, Nakaseke, Nakasongola and Sembabule in the cattle corridor; Adjumani, Arua, Koboko, Maracha, Moyo, Nebbi, Yumbe and Zombo in West Nile; Abim, Amudat, Moroto, Nakapiripirit and Napak in Karamoja; and Amolator, Amuria, Buyende, Kaberamaido, Kamuli, Katakwi and Kayunga in Eastern Uganda. All these are areas witnessing varied effects of the changing climate, including long dry spells, flash floods, erratic rainfall and emergence of new plant pests and animal diseases, among others. Each of the beneficiary districts will receive at least five motorcycles to ease movement of extension workers to communities in most need.

The donation of the motorcycles, worth about USD 400 000 (UGX 1.5 Billion) was made possible through three key projects which FAO is implementing in Uganda, to support Uganda’s resilience to climatic shocks and enhance the contribution of agriculture and food systems in climate change mitigation. With funding from the European Union, FAO is implementing the Global Climate Change Alliance Plus (GCCA+) project to scale up agriculture adaptation to climate change in Uganda. The second project “Climate Resilient Livelihood Opportunities for Women Economic Empowerment for Karamoja and West Nile Regions of Uganda” is funded by the Embassy of Sweden in Kampala while the project on “Integrating climate resilience into agricultural and pastoral production in Uganda, through a Farmer/Agro-pastoralist Field School Approach” is implemented with funding from the Global Environmental Facility (GEF).

While officiating at the handover ceremony held at the Uganda Industrial and Business Park in Namanve on 21 September 2020, FAO Representative in Uganda- Antonio Querido, underscored the importance of supporting countries, especially developing countries, to address climate change challenges and make progress towards attaining national and global development aspirations.

“It is our hope that these motorcycles will assist the movement of personnel of beneficiary government agencies and civil society organizations in providing the much-needed extension and awareness creation services to help farmers adopt climate-smart agricultural practices and build their resilience to climate-related shocks”, he said.

He thanked the European Union, Embassy of Sweden and the Global Environment Facility for funding the climate change programme in Uganda.

Speaking on behalf of Mr Pius Wakabi Kasajja - Permanent Secretary of Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries (MAAIF), Mr. Freddie Kabango, Assistant Commissioner for Soil and Water Conservation at MAAIF, pledged the ministry’s support to the climate change programmes and called for more interventions to enhance adaptation to climate change in Uganda.

“There is a desire to have production area under irrigation in Uganda at 1.5million hectares by 2040. In order to achieve that we will need to sustainably utilise our natural resources and to also come up with innovations/technologies which can help our farming communities cope with climate change challenges while meeting their ever changing needs”, he said.

Mr. Stephen Koma- Assistant Commissioner for District Inspection at the Ministry of Local Government thanked FAO for supporting the Government of Uganda in building resilience of its people to climate change and noted that the motorcycles will enhance the Ministry’s oversight function and ensure value for money.

“The current focus of the Government of Uganda is to strengthen local government in delivering basic services to its citizens, as well as refugees. I therefore encourage the beneficiary districts to take good care of these motorcycles and ensure effective implementation of the programmes”, he said.
The recipient districts and organizations- including civil society organizations, will therefore have better means of transport to enhance their outreach to farmers, especially in rural and hard-to-reach areas, to increase their awareness and adoption of climate-smart agricultural practices.

Laban Rutare, the Executive Director of Community Care for Development, one of the implementing partners, noted that the motorcycle will provide better mobility and enable faster and earlier access to farmers, particularly in hard-to-reach areas.

“Climate Change is no longer a theory, its reality”, he said. “With capacity building and integration of all climate change adaptation programmes, we will progress and poverty will be history,” he added.
The ceremony was also graced by the Acting Commissioner for Climate Change Department at the Ministry of Water and Environment, Mr Bob Natifu, who commended FAO, EU, the Government of Sweden and GEF, for the support, saying that the motorcycles will ease movements of extension workers to support beneficiary communities in their learning and quick adoption of new and climate-resilient technologies.
FAO’s support to climate change mitigation and adaptation in Uganda
Given the dependence of Uganda’s economy on agriculture and natural resources, the country is particularly vulnerable to climate change and climate variability, which includes droughts, floods and landslides. The magnitude, frequency and severity of these extreme weather crises, especially drought, have increased over the past decades. To support adoption of better agricultural practices among farming communities and build resilience to climate change, FAO in Uganda has supported design and implementation of various multi-dimensional and adaptation-focused interventions, complemented by mitigation activities and policy-making support. FAO is working with the government of Uganda through line ministries of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries, and the Ministry Water and Environment, Ministry of Gender, Labour and Social Development and Ministry of Local Government to build local capacity at national, district and sub-county levels for climate change mitigation and adaptation.

FAO provides training for government officials and farmers in mitigation and adaptation measures, and through the first phase of GCCA, supported establishment of bio-energy plantations and construction of reservoirs producing over 220 000 cubic meters of water for cattle production in vulnerable areas. FAO also supported the Government of Uganda to mainstream climate change in its National Development Plan and develop a National Adaptation Plan for climate change.