PHOTOGRAPHIC ILLUSTRATION OF EFFECTS OF CLIMATE CHANGE IN UGANDA

Global Warming in the Kitchen

2011-02-08T04:25:00.000-08:00

Excessive use of charcoal and firewood has exerted high pressure on World’s natural forests. Millions of Ugandans use stove or fireplaces to prepare food and other stuffs. When wood is burnt, it turns into ash and soot or black carbon which is a partner in crime with global warming.

However, few Ugandans know that soot absorbs and scatters solar radiation, increasing the heat captured, and sometimes affecting local cloud formation and precipitation.

Also few Ugandans know that soot particles travel long distances in brown clouds, mixing with other aerosolized particles, like sulfates, nitrates and fly ash and when it lands on snow such as that on Mt. Rwenzori, it increases heat absorption, leading to accelerated melting.

On the other hand, soot prevents sunlight from reaching the earth, resulting in “global dimming”.
Soot also affects local air quality, potentially harming human health, and it can be a cause of great enmity between neighbours.

But is remains difficult to quantify all the effects of soot, its net impact on climate is not yet clear, especially in areas without snow.

Approximately 20% of soot emissions are from biofuels (e.g., wood, dung, crop residue), 40% from fossil fuels (e.g., coal, diesel), and 40% from open biomass burning (e.g., forest fires, crop residue burning).

Effects of Climate Change on Uganda’s Road Infrastructure

2010-04-02T01:56:00.000-07:00

The effects of Climate change on road infrastructure have been underestimated in most countries. Climate Change has had direct and indirect impacts on road infrasaturure.
Transportation systems in most countries is designed and built for local weather and climate conditions, predicated on historical temperature and precipitation data. With unpredictable climate changes therefore, climate predictions used by transportation planners and engineers may no longer be reliable.

Taking an example of rural parts of south western Uganda, rainfall changes have altered moisture balances and influenced pavement deterioration. Also temperature changes seem to be affecting the aging of bitumen on most roads in the region. This subsequently causes road surface to crack, with a consequent loss of waterproofing of the surface seal. The result is that surface water can enter the pavement causing potholing and fairly rapid loss of surface condition.

This is leading to increased potholes on several tarmarcked roads in the region. A best example is Masaka-Mbarara-Kabale road which has several potholes.

The greatest impact of climate change on transportation systems in most parts of Uganda is flooding of roads brought by more intense rains and hail storms. Recently Kabale-Katuna road which connects Uganda to Rwanda was blocked by landslides.

This therefore calls for significant changes in the planning, design, construction, operation, and maintenance of transportation systems.

Warmer Temperatures Increasing Contaminant Load to Water Bodies

2009-08-25T04:55:00.000-07:00

Water availability, quality and streamflow are sensitive to changes in temperature and precipitation. The three photographs above are a clear evidence that warm temperatures linked to climate change are decreasing dissolved oxygen levels, increasing contaminant load to water bodies, reducing stream and river flows and fostering algal blooms. I took the above three photographs at Kayanja just near Lyantonde town, along the Mbarara –Masaka highway.

Disasters after Unpredicted Climatic Changes.

2009-08-24T04:20:00.000-07:00

Climatic changes in parts of the western region are coming with severe disasters. I took the three photographs you see above in Bubaare Kashari Mbarara district in August 2009. The first rains after three months of drought, came with hailstorms that destroyed local people’s food crops and houses. The Local people have suffered twice! The Drought and the Disasters as a result of climatic change.

Drying Up Food Crops

2009-08-18T04:36:00.000-07:00

In some parts of the Western Uganda, sun shine has dried up food crops. As the food crops dry up, hunger sets in. I would like you to take a critical look at the above photograph. I took it along Mbarara-Masaka road near Kyazanga town as i travelled in a bus in August 2009. The banana trees in the background have all dried up. What will this family eat in future?

Drying Up Farm Lands (2)

2009-08-15T05:44:00.000-07:00

Global warming continues to cause havoc in some parts of western Uganda. Now some animals including cattle have nothing to eat. The grass that was green is now dry. The animals have now resorted to eating dry grass. But this might not last long since the dry grass is not reproducing. I took the above pictures in Kazaho, Isingiro district in August 2009. As the three children above graze their family’s cattle, they certainly know that the future for their cattle and that of their family is in balance. They told me that they are planning to migrate to far areas close to Uganda-Tanzania boarder to look for grass and water for their animals.

Burning Forests to Produce Rains!

2009-08-15T05:25:00.000-07:00

Following months of lack of rains, in some communities in Uganda, local people there are resorting to burning forests and bushes. This, they think could help in formation of clouds that produce rains. There is a misconception that the black smoke from burning bushes go somewhere in the atmosphere and form nimbus clouds which produce rain. In so doing they destroy environmnet. I took the above photograph in along River Koga in Kashaka Mbarara Uganda in August 2009. Residents set fire on the forest and water reeds. Probably they thought the smoke from burning forest could help to produce rain!

Resorting to Dirty Water as a Result of Water Scarcity

2009-07-06T01:59:00.000-07:00

In some communities in Uganda, water sources have dried up. As the only option, people in such communities have now turned to any place they can get acess to water irrespective of its cleanliness. I took the photos you see above in Mwizi sub county in Mbarara district in June 2009. The two children you see there have just collected water in the jerricans and are taking it home for different uses including preparing food.

Drying Up Farm Lands

2009-07-06T01:24:00.000-07:00

Some of the farm lands for people in Uganda have dried up to the extend that there is no any green grass left. This has subquently led to relocation of the cattle from the drying up farms to the ones that are abit green. However this is leading to wide spreading of different animal diseases such as foot and Mouth. I took the above photos in two different farms in Kiruhura district. You are unable to see cattle there because they have deserted these farms because of lack of green grass. By the time, the grass turned to that color, water had already died up.

Drying Up Water Streams

2009-06-19T01:56:00.000-07:00

About two years ago, birds, local people, cattle and mudfish to mention but a few enjoyed the fresh waters of Katojo/Ngara stream in Nyakayojo Sub County Mbarara district

Today nothing remains of this stream. The places where this stream used to pass through or otherwise the streambed has been turned into hard soil blocks. Subsequently, local people have also encroached on this streambed to make bricks and gardens as you can see in the above photos. Where did this stream go? What caused it to disappear? Doe the drying up of such a stream matter?

Constate Komunda has lived in this area for over 50 years. He says he witnessed this stream dry up following increased dry conditions in the area.

Jeconious Musingwire is a scientist who has specialised in conservation of environment. He confirms that most of the streams in the western region have dried up as a result of climate change.

Drying Up Water Bodies: A Case Study of River Rwizi

2009-06-16T05:01:00.000-07:00

The five photos you have just seen above are all from River Rwizi in south western Uganda. I toured this famous River, one of the main Rivers in the region which is a source of water for millions of local people and their livestock. Snaking through the famous hills of southwestern Uganda, Rwizi was always a beautiful river that brought pride to the people in the area due to its sky blue waters and the purposes they served. Today, River Rwizi is back in news not for its great beauty and history but for being under a brink of drying up as this region continue to feel the effects of climate change. I would like you to note the browning of the waters of this river as shown in most of the photos above and also the decreasing levels of the water as shown in the photo of the bridge.

Global Warming Boils Hot Springs

2009-06-14T00:31:00.000-07:00

What is causing this Hot Spring to boil? I took this photo at Kitagata Hot Spring in Kitagata Sub County in Bushenyi in April 2009. Local people I found bathing in this spring told me that the hotness of the water in this spring has continued to increase over the years. As you can see the water is boiling! What could be boiling it? Global warming?

Alternative Water Sources as Natural ones Dry up

2009-06-14T00:22:00.000-07:00

With continued drying up of Dams, Natural Springs and Bore holes, which communities used to rely on, local people, are now relying on piped water. Such water is piped from water catchment areas such as swamps and wetlands. However, local people are again encroaching of these catchment areas causing them to dry up. I took the above photo in Isingiro district as school children drunk water from the tap.

Drying Up Water Sources

2009-06-12T03:01:00.000-07:00

What is the reason behind the drying up of several water sources in Uganda? The photo you see above shows a dried up borehole. I took this photo in Isingiro district in Uganda.

Decreasing Waters of River Nile

2009-06-12T02:38:00.000-07:00

What do you think made the waters of River Nile, the longest river in Africa to decrease to that level you see in the photo above? I took this photo at exactly the source of River Nile in Jinja Uganda. Years ago, the waters of River Nile covered the metals you see in the photo but now the waters have continued to decrease to the level you see in the photo.

Kashaka Snow

2009-06-10T05:25:00.000-07:00

The white stuff you see in this photo is snow. I took this photo at Kashaka in Mbarara Uganda in 2008.It shows the effects of the hailstorm on the village. Almost all banana plantations in the village as you see in this photo were destroyed by the hailstorm leaving local people there with nothing to eat.

Snow Falls Where it Had Never Fallen

2009-06-10T04:46:00.000-07:00

I took this photo in Kashaka, Mbarara district. It shows children picking snow after a heavy hail storm. falling of such snow is very unusual in Uganda, a country which lies on the equator.