SUPPLEMENT: This is why we should not ignore Climate Change

ACT Alliance Uganda Forum intervention in Teso and Karamoja sub-regions

DanChurchAid is a Danish faith-based international non-governmental organisation established in 1922. It has been active in Uganda since 1979, with current work primarily in Karamoja and Teso sub-regions. However, it also implements humanitarian work in the Southwest and the West Nile region in Northwestern Uganda. DCA is a member of the global “Action by Churches Together (ACT) Alliance.”

ACT Alliance is a global coalition of churches and church related Organizations doing humanitarian, development and advocacy work in over 140 Countries.

The current member Organizations include: Uganda Joint Christian Council, Church of Uganda Planning Development and Rehabilitation, RACOBAO, Lutheran World Federation, FinnChurchAid, ICCO Cooperation, Diakonia Sweden, World Renew, DanChurchAid, Lutheran World Relief, Bread for the World, Icelandic Church Aid, Church of Sweden, and Evangelical Lutheran Church of America.

The ACT Forum Uganda members have been involved in disaster risk reduction and climate change activities and advocacy for more than five years and have further undertaken analysis of the gaps that exist in Uganda, not only in policy but also in implementation of relevant mitigation and adaptation measures at both district and national level.

Climate change interventions

Currently, the Uganda forum has since 2015 been implementing a three-year pilot intervention on climate change advocacy and disaster risk reduction project.

The intervention aims at strengthening local climate change advocacy – making local voices heard in the climate debate with the overall aim of strengthening of Local Climate Change Advocacy – making local voices heard in the climate debate.

The intervention is being implemented in the 15 districts of Teso and Karamoja sub regions comprising; Amuria, Katakwi, Bukedea, Kaberamaido, Serere, Soroti, Kumi, Ngora, Kotido, Abim, Kaabong, Amudat, Moroto, Napak, Nakapiripirit.

This intervention has been focusing on engaging communities and religious leaders to lobby the government of Uganda to scale up climate finance in sectoral budget allocations so that national efforts towards mitigation, adaptation and resilience are achieved.

The intervention has strengthened the capacities of especially the church leaders who are moral duty bearers to advocate actively for climate change financing for community resilience and mitigation.

ACT Uganda Forum acknowledges that the systematic integration of climate change actions into development planning activities remains a challenge due to the extreme changes in weather patterns that have continued to affect communities each year leaving them more vulnerable and impoverished.

It’s the mandate of government to ensure that as a country, lives are saved, impacts mitigated and resilience communities are built. However, this is only possible if climate finance is attained through national resources or seeking international funds.

The intervention by the ACT Alliance in Uganda has gone along this path with aims of supporting government of Uganda scale up climate finance and access available international climate funds.

The interventions that have been running since 2015 has contributed tremendously to the lives of communities and availed a platform for them to voice their concerns to the government.

Through the community gatherings facilitated by the religious leaders who are the agents of change in the intervention, the community has been able to demand for increases in sectoral budget allocations by contributing to sub county and district budget conferences.

Creating climate change awareness in church

Religious leaders too have fused climate change appeal within the gospel summons as a means of creating awareness among communities, and have ventured into massive tree planting activities in efforts towards climate change mitigation.

The ACT Forum in Uganda appreciates the efforts of the government through the Ministry of Water and Environment (Climate Change Department) in engaging on climate change issues. As a forum, we have worked closely with the government to complement its actions by availing financial and technical support at national and global level.

The intervention has enabled ACT Uganda Forum make input into government of Uganda position papers such as the Nationally Determined Commitments (NDCs), National Action Plans on Adaptation (NAPAs) among others. These inputs have shaped and strengthened the government actions towards climate change interventions.

Nonetheless, we call upon the government to consider setting up the National Climate Investment Plan and a National climate change Fund to attain a semi automatous climate fund to improve actions and responses about climate change. This is the path other African countries have started in effort to fast track the climate change actions away from the mainstreaming approach.