Recurring food shortages in some areas across the East African region, caused by adverse effects of climate change, has climaxed into increased activity by environmental activists.
Due to the fact that most, if not all of them consent to the notion that effectively addressing this challenge needs tackling the root causes, they have risen up in a higher gear to address the causes of this global phenomenon.
Calls for serious action against climate change have circulated widely, to shield the populace that are paying a heavy price in terms of food insecurity as a result of floods, hail storms, long droughts, thunder storm.
This has been the work of Climate Change Action for East Africa (CCAEA), who have for years been at the forefront of championing for minmizing climate change and its negative effects.
Taking a case study in December last year, a section of farmers in Nakaseke district, expressed worry over adverse effects of an increase in global warming levels, which has complicated agricultural practices.
In a meeting with delegates from Sasakawa Global 2000 Uganda (SG 2000), held at Kibooba Village, Kigege Parish, Nakaseke district, the farmers under their umbrella Kibooba Coffee Farmers Rehabilitation Group, said there is a down turn in agricultural output, and that it has sharply risen to 60%, as a result of adverse effects of climate change.
“Much as we have tried to minmise effects of climate change by irrigating, it can defuse effects of drought, but there are some changes which cant be defused like rainstorm and snow. You can’t install an umbrella such that your crops are not destroyed by snow. I showed my seedbeds to you, they were all destroyed by snow. So we are challenged by such a situation, making most farmers incur colossal losses,” said Nakalema Hasifah, a small scale farmer in Semuto sub-county, Nakaseke district.
The need to tackle climate change effects was a direct appeal by the first Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of East African Community Affairs, Hon. Rebecca Kadaga, while speaking at the launch of the East Africa Food Security Symposium and Expo on March, 24th, 2021, at Sleek and Slender Wellness Centre, Nakasero.
Hon. Kadaga stressed the need to mitigate effects of climate change, by carrying out advocacy and awareness programmes, such that people are taught how to protect the nature.
“We have in some places food shortages, poor productivity and all these are effects of climate change. So this forum is going to work towards mitigating effects of climate change, towards advocacy so that people are aware how they live and how they should be living, together with the nature and how to protect it,” remarked Hon. Kadaga.
Ms. Victoria Ssekitoleko, the co-chair CCAEA, while speaking at the same function stressed the importance of food security in ensuring a productive and functional population, vital for development.
“But if you talked to somebody lets say from the ministry of health, those people would tell you that if there is food insecurity, the pregnant mothers will not eat well, they will give birth to underweight babies, those that are perpetually sick and normally get stunted and stunting starts in the head, that person can never perform very well, so at the end of the day, you end up with a population which is under performing,” said Ms. Ssekitoleko.
Emission of toxic gases into the atmosphere due to the mashrooming industries, encroachment on wetlands as a result of illegal settlements and other ilicit activities like sand mining and defforestation have served to escalate global warming.
In this respect, CCAEA is working tirelessly to address this challenge, through organising global senstization programmes and campaigns to inclulcate a sense of environmental conservation among citzens from various countries, to mitgate the negative effects of climate change.
For instance; the East African Food Security Symposium and Expo, a food security convention will be organised by CCAEA from 14th to 16th October at Kololo Indipendence Grounds, to raise awareness on the current global trends on food security in the lieu of climate change.
An annual and rotational event accross the East African region, it will be tairored towards bringing together a delegation of about 3000 people from accross the world, to discuss and address climate change.
Participants will include researchers, climatologists, academia, civil society, policy makers, private sector, innovators, non-governmental organisations members from the central government, diplomatic corps and local government officials.
Issues to be discussed will range from formulating plans on issues affecting climate change, food security and nutrition in the region, while forcusing on the distinctive relationship between agriculture, food and nutrition.
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