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Is this email not displaying correctly? Click here to view in browser Issue 16 | March 2023 |
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Finance climate change for adaptation, mitigation, and resilience
By Elizabeth Nuwaha, Research Fellow, ACODE
The world is in a climate emergency – “a code red for humanity” according to the UN Secretary-General. The concentration of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in the atmosphere are wreaking havoc across the world and threatening lives, economies, health, and food.1 Climate change refers to long-term shifts in temperatures and weather patterns. These shifts may be natural, such as through variations in the solar cycle. Since the 1800s, human activities have been the main drivers of climate change, primarily due to burning fossil fuels like coal, oil, and gas and cutting down forests. Burning fossil fuels generates greenhouse gas emissions that act like a blanket wrapped around the Earth, trapping the sun’s heat and raising temperatures. Examples of greenhouse gas emissions that are causing climate change include carbon dioxide and methane. These come from using gasoline for driving cars or coal for heating buildings. Clearing of land and forests also releases carbon dioxide. Also, landfills for garbage are a major source of methane emissions. In Uganda, Climate change shocks are already impacting all parts of the economy. The shocks include the landslides in Bududa and Bundibugyo, floods in Kasese, and the rising water levels of Lake Victoria that have left many communities devastated and vulnerable to hunger and disease. The country has also experienced unpredictable rainfall patterns which are affecting agricultural production and food security together with frequent and prolonged droughts. Climate change has also registered economic impacts which include; high prices especially food prices, increased food insecurity, high costs of production and low profitability, and Increased vulnerability and inequality. Other climate change effects include; the displacement of persons and the destruction of properties and infrastructure. These disasters have negatively impacted the economy, women and other vulnerable groups considering Uganda ranks as the 13th- most-vulnerable country in the world to climate change and 160th out of 192 nations in readiness to confront the threat according to the Notre Dame Global Adaptation Initiative (2021). The destruction and degradation of the environment and natural resources like forests and wetlands have also greatly contributed to the climate change crisis. The climate change impact assessment report by the Ministry of Water and Environment estimated that damages due to climate change in the agriculture, water, infrastructure, and energy sectors will collectively amount to 2-4% of GDP between 2010 and 2050. Over the years, Uganda has instituted legal and institutional frameworks for this cause and they include;
General observations in Planning and budgeting on Climate Change ProgramWhereas the Ministerial Policy Statements recognize climate change as a constraint in the productive sectors, only two sectors (Roads and agriculture) have direct components that address climate change in their budgets. The 2021/2022 Ministerial Policy Statement for the Ministry of Water and Environment recognizes climate change as a major constraint to the productive sectors of the economy such as agriculture, industry, tourism, oil and gas, and water among others. However, the integration and implementation of the National Climate Change Policy (NCCP) including awareness creation, in all sectors and district development, national coordination, monitoring and reporting on the implementation of international standards and commitments are still inadequate. Climate change funding trends are not only undesirable but also untraceable and there is limited domestic financing. There is a consistent lack of adequate budget allocation to program interventions specifically on climate change resilience/adaptation. This article, therefore, argues for increased financing towards the Climate Change, Natural Resources, Environment & Water Management Program. Mainstreaming Climate Change into planning and Budgeting
Climate change financing trends in UgandaGlobally, climate change has become a development concern with negative impacts on growth which has increased the need to scale up adaptation and mitigation efforts. However, the previous budget allocations to Climate Change in Uganda for the last 3 Financial years continue to register a downward trend, for instance, the proposed National Budget Framework paper FY 2023/24 budget shows a 0.9% reduction in the budget allocation to the climate change and natural resources program from 2% in FY 2022/23 to 1.1% in FY 2023/24. Furthermore, since the start of the implementation of NDP III in 2020/21, the budget allocation to the Natural Resources, Environment, and Climate Change program has averaged at 1.2%, which is below the recommended 5% in NDP III. The above observations suggest that climate change financing is not moving in tandem with the development concerns accruing as a result of Climate Change in Uganda. With the rate at which climate change impacts exacerbate development challenges to our economy, prioritizing funding Climate Change, Natural Resources, Environment, and Water Management and adherence to the Climate Change Act 2021 is highly recommended. This notwithstanding, Uganda has made strides toward climate change mitigation and adaptation, especially on the policy and legal framework front.  Conclusions and recommendationsClimate Change is a massive calamity and a development concern which requires interventions from all Stakeholders, Governments cannot handle alone all stakeholders including academia, financial institutions, CSOs, citizens etc. alone. All societal sectors have a role to play. Climate finance is used to spur action that can help reduce greenhouse gas emissions, decrease vulnerability to the threats associated with climate change, and promote adaptability to changes already underway. Fulfilling international and national commitments and adopting to changing climate requires significant financial resources. Also, developing countries like Uganda need to enhance efforts to mobilize domestic resources for climate cause
Even though the cost of tackling this problem is significant, the cost of action is lower than the cost of inaction (Stern, 2009). 1State of Climate References
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