Transcript Slide 1

The effects of reduced Precipitation and Vegetation cover on Food
Security and Conflict Dynamics in Karamoja Pastoral Area, Uganda
Presentation by Victor Onenchan
Area Coordinator –ACTED,
Northern Uganda
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?
Karamoja Region
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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
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Agro -ecological / Livelihoods Zones of
Karamoja
DO D O TH
K O T ID O
J IE
LABW O R
M A T H E N IK O
LEG EN D
M OROTO
P a s to ra l zo n e
BO KO RA
A g r o p a s to r a l z o n e
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N A K A P I R IP I R I T
P IA N
CHEKW I
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5 0 K ilo m e t e r s
PO K O T
A g r i c u lt u r a l z o n e
Climate change variables: Precipitation and
Vegetation cover cover
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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
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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
FOOD SECURITY
Definition 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
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Crop production restricted to Green
and yellow belt and Livestock
restricted to Red and Yellow belts
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Single cropping season (AprilSeptember) with inter space of dry
season (June and July)
WFP first responds in 1963
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Droughts In 1982,83, 86, 87, 91, 92,
97, 98, 99, 2000, 2001, 2003, 2005,
2006/7, expected in 2009-01-19
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2002/ 2003 there was Elnino
phenomenon (Effect of Climate
change causing rains from Indian
Ocean)
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PPR outbreaks in Karamoja
The Implication of low precipitation on
Primary Productivity
Crops
1 Only short maturity crops can grow well
(Epuripur)
2 Small ecological footprint to supply the
all Karamoja region
3 Large parts of the productive areas are
degazetted for Wildlife protection
4 Continuous crop failures a disincentive to
farmers to more production
5 Increase in Population (3.2% compared to
the 2.4% average for sub-Saharan Africa)
Livestock
1) Increased migratory movements
towards Kenya and inside Uganda (Teso,
Lango and Acholi Area)
2) Increased frequency of conflict over
natural resources and raids
3) Increased mortality of livestock
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
Security in Karamoja
1) Natural Resource Conflict
2) Banditry
Raiding Past
Raiding Present
Raiding as a survival responds (after famine
of livestock diseases) when stock are
depleted, (done for restocking)
Any time is raiding time, for economic gains
Closed only within Karamoja
Raiding within and Neighbours
Controlled by Council of elders
Controlled by youth who have
power(Money)
Use of spears and non lethal weapons
guns
Not self-centred (for community)
Self centred
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
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
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
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