1 / 13

The effects of reduced Precipitation and Vegetation cover on Food Security and Conflict Dynamics in Karamoja Pastoral Ar

Presentation by Victor Onenchan Area Coordinator –ACTED, Northern Uganda. The effects of reduced Precipitation and Vegetation cover on Food Security and Conflict Dynamics in Karamoja Pastoral Area, Uganda. Presentations. Background to Karamoja Climate change Variables in Karamoja

carmela
Download Presentation

The effects of reduced Precipitation and Vegetation cover on Food Security and Conflict Dynamics in Karamoja Pastoral Ar

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript

  1. Presentation by Victor Onenchan Area Coordinator –ACTED, Northern Uganda The effects of reduced Precipitation and Vegetation cover on Food Security and Conflict Dynamics in Karamoja Pastoral Area, Uganda

  2. Presentations • Background to Karamoja • Climate change Variables in Karamoja • Food Security in Karamoja (Accessibility and Physical availability of food) • Climate change and conflicts in Karamoja • What has been done so far? • Set backs to current efforts; • What can be done?

  3. Karamoja Region • Located in North Eastern Part of Uganda • Estimated population of 942,363 • Karamoja has been administratively divided into five districts; Kaabong, Abim, Kotido, Moroto and Nakapiriprit • The most striking physical features of the region are: a vast major erosion surface known as the Karamoja plain, Mountain Masses (mainly volcanic) that abruptly emerge from this plain, and the broad sandy beds of fast rising intermittent rivers that form the drainage system of the plain and the scattered vegetation.

  4. Agro -ecological / Livelihoods Zones of Karamoja

  5. Climate change variables: Precipitation and Vegetation cover cover • Precipitation •  Rainfall is unpredictable • . It is erratic and has torrential down pours •  Very short rainy seasons and long dry spells •  No permanent surface water •  Rainy seasons Temperatures (18-200 C MINIMUM) and (28-300 C Maximum) •  Dry season temperatures go well beyond 38 C sometimes up to 42 C • Vegetation •  Reduction in Vegetation cover by (4-8%) in the last 10years •  Change from Savannah grassland to steppe to Thickets and Shrubs •  Massive soil erosion/ gullies

  6. FOOD SECURITYDefinition and Concept:Food Security: Based on the definition from the1996 World Food Summit security is defined as when all the people, at all the time, have physical and economic access to sufficient, safe and nutritious food that meet their dietary needs and food preferences for an active and healthy life • Crop production restricted to Green and yellow belt and Livestock restricted to Red and Yellow belts • Single cropping season (April-September) with inter space of dry season (June and July) • WFP first responds in 1963 • Droughts In 1982,83, 86, 87, 91, 92, 97, 98, 99, 2000, 2001, 2003, 2005, 2006/7, expected in 2009-01-19 • 2002/ 2003 there was Elnino phenomenon (Effect of Climate change causing rains from Indian Ocean) • PPR outbreaks in Karamoja

  7. The Implication of low precipitation on Primary Productivity

  8. Markets and Market Prices in Karamoja • Most goods (fresh foods) in the markets come from outside Karamoja • Insecurity high on roads • Limited variety in the markets • Prices are exorbitantly high (E.G 1kg of beans is 1EUR and yet in Mbale (50 Scents) • Households without livestock to sell are suffering • People eat wild foods, sell fire wood…….which are signs of deepening food security • Increase in gross acute Malnutrition • High Infant mortality • Early Marriages • Out migration (Begging inn the streets of Mbale and Kampala) (60% of beggars in Kampala are from Karamoja

  9. Security in Karamoja1)Natural Resource Conflict2) Banditry

  10. Guns in Karamoja (?) Issues at hand: Increase conflict between the Karamojongs and Neighbours • Increased conflict within Karamoja • Break down of civil order and civil including social organizational hierarchy (Powerful youth have emerged suppressing elders)  Increased Banditry

  11. What has been done?  Government establishing Ministry for Karamoja  Cordon and search Operation by the UPDF  KIDDP  WFP doing Food Distribution  Donors EC and ECHO, (DMI and DP2)-ACTED implementing activities

  12. Set backs to current efforts  Rapid population growth rate in Karamoja (3.2%)  Limited Government Budgetary allocation to the Ministry in charge of Karamoja  There is no Contingency plan and no contingency funs in place for Karamoja  General policies not specific to Karamoja  Too much time required –because of the conservativeness of our society

  13. What can be done? Specific Policies to Karamoja situation needs to be developed  Seek sustainable solutions to Karamoja problem (Engaged in regional Solution for the gun paradox) • Environmental decision making processes needs to be effected from the grass roots  Develop a contingency plan in place for Karamoja  Partners should look for more sustainable solutions rather than Food Aid

More Related