The Eastern and Southern Africa Small Scale Farmers Forum (ESAFF) Uganda is embarking on an important project in Adjumani district to improve climate change adaptation and secure accountable climate funding.
The initiative, titled “Campaigning for Climate Change Adaptation Policies and Accountable Climate Funding,” is funded by Bread for the World (BfdW) and sub-granted by ESAFF’s regional office. It will also reach Tanzania, Madagascar, Lesotho, and South Africa.
ESAFF Uganda, which is dedicated to empowering small-scale farmers, will use Participatory Research and Score Cards to identify key issues in agriculture, climate change adaptation, and the effects of COVID 19.
This collaborative effort will help to develop advocacy action plans and coalitions focused on food and nutrition security, combining traditional knowledge with modern weather forecasting techniques, and promoting effective climate governance.
On March 14, ESAFF Uganda collaborated with the Adjumani district local government to implement a scorecard to assess climate adaptation strategies.
The session allowed small-scale farmers to provide feedback, while government representatives pledged support for forming a district Climate Change, Food, and Nutrition Security Coalition, emphasizing the importance of a collaborative and broad-based approach to addressing climate challenges.
Ronald Bagaga, the program manager, emphasized the importance of collaborating with farmers and local leaders to identify challenges and develop effective advocacy strategies.
Through community engagement and advocacy, the initiative aims to strengthen small-scale farmers’ resilience in the face of climate change.
Participants from five surrounding villages, including local government representatives and community stakeholders, will work together to carry out this climate change project.
Traditional leaders expressed concern about environmental changes that threaten agricultural practices, with His Royal Highness Simon Suru Baru emphasizing the loss of natural weather indicators. He urged the community to plant trees as a critical adaptation strategy.
Grace Mazapke, Acting Community Development Officer, noted the district’s growing challenges with climate change, such as prolonged droughts and flooding, which are contributing to an increase in malnutrition cases.
Efforts are underway to regulate tree felling and establish disaster management protocols.
Janifer Angua, a small-scale farmer and ESAFF member, spoke out about the harsh realities of climate change, linking extreme weather events to crop destruction and food insecurity.
This initiative, she said, is in line with the Paris Agreement, which aims to combat climate change and support adaptation efforts in developing countries.
ESAFF Uganda aspires to ensure that climate adaptation policies are effectively enforced and funding is transparently managed, resulting in benefits for small-scale farmers and their communities.
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