Frank Mugagga

Globally landslides occurrence is reportedly frequent particularly in the mountainous regions causing both direct and indirect effects to various sectors including the road transport. Landslides directly cause physical impact on the road network such as deposition of debris and impartial or total erosion of road segments. This leads to increased damage costs. Indirectly landslides cause disruption of the trade and movement whenever roads are blocked and alternative routes are resorted to. Existing literature reveals limited assessment of road vulnerability to landslides in the mountain regions in Africa. This study aimed at closing this information gap by investigating the risk to different segments of the road network in the Mt Elgon region. A fuzzy logic model was used to assess and map the landslide susceptibility into low, moderate, high and very high categories. The results reveal that mid to high altitude steep and rugged areas are more susceptible to landslides. The model per...

Background A hybrid solar-diesel energy system (HSDES) was installed on Bugala Island located on Lake Victioria in Uganda to increase access to clean, affordable, reliable, and sustainable energy, which is essential for protecting the environment while improving living conditions, human health, and local economic development. However, the challenges associated with HSDES generated electricity from the end-users’ perspective are still unknown. Since these challenges are complex, stochastic, nonlinear, and multidimensional, this study aimed at utilizing a Bayesian belief network (BBN) modelling approach to identify, and rank the challenges experienced by energy consumers on the Island in an intergrated format. Methods A cross-sectional research design was employed where a total of 237 randomly selected respondents were involved in this study. Quantitative data were gathered using semi-structured questionnaires. The BBN model was developed basing on well established guidelines and mode...

Background Globally, 5% of 247 million global malaria cases are reported Uganda which is also one of the top refugee hosting countries in Africa, with 1.36 million refugees currently. Although malaria is an emerging challenge for humanitarian response in refugee settlements, little is known about its risk factors. The study analysed data from the 2018-19 Uganda Malaria Indicator Survey (UMIS) to determine the factors associated with malaria infections among refugee children under five years of age. Methods The analysis was run using the ‘Individual dataset’ of UMIS. The independent variables related to the demographic, social-economic and environmental information on 3,481 refugees spreading across the country. The rapid diagnostics test results was the outcome variable. Multivariate logistic regression was performed to identify predictors of the malaria infections. Results Overall, the prevalence of malaria infections in all refugee settlements across the nine hosting districts was...

This research focuses on the food, farming and health experiences of two secondary cities of Uganda (Mbale and Mbarara), comparing findings with studies of primary African cities. We draw from survey data, focus groups with healthcare professionals, and in-depth interviews with varied residents. A feminist geographic perspective explored intersections of food, farming and health with varied aspects of identity, and with place (city itself, but also with rural areas). By comparing our secondary city findings to findings from primary African cities this paper sheds light on whether and how food systems in secondary African cities are transforming, and how urban life at this scale is being experienced. Our analysis suggests a good deal of similarity of food insecurity, dietary diversity, and of non-communicable disease experiences and understandings. The main difference was around the food access strategies, the access to land, and the engagement with agriculture and interaction with t...

In East Africa, biomass burning in the savanna region emits nitrogen dioxide (NO2), carbon monoxide (CO), and aerosols among other species. These emissions are dangerous air pollutants which pose a health risk to the population. They also affect the radiation budget. Currently, limited academic research has been done to study their spatial and temporal distribution over this region by means of numerical modeling. This study therefore used the Weather Research and Forecasting model coupled with chemistry (WRF-chem) to simulate, for the first time, the distribution of NO2 during the year 2012 and CO during the period June 2015 to May 2016 over this region. These periods had the highest atmospheric abundances of these species. The model’s performance was evaluated against satellite observations from the Ozone Monitoring Instrument (OMI) and the Measurement of Pollution in the Troposphere (MOPITT). Three evaluation metrics were used, these were, the normalized mean bias (NMB), the root ...

Terrain parameters such as slope aspect, angle, curvature, stream power and altitude have been noted to spur landslide occurrence as well as, acting as a hindrance to evacuation efforts. Yet, persons with disabilities (PWDs) are seldom given priority during rescue and recovery programmes during pre- and post-disaster evacuation. The study was guided by two objectives, namely, (1) to map the landslide risk for households of PWDs and (2) to investigate the disability type that is perceived to be most affected by landslides. A cross-sectional household survey was adopted employing snowball sampling, Key Informant Interviews (KII), and Focus Group Discussions (FGDs) for primary data collection. A 30-m Shuttle Radar Topography Mission (SRTM) Digital Elevation Model (DEM) was used for terrain spatial landslide risk analysis in ArcGis 10.8 and System for Automated Geoscientific Analyses (SAGA) tools. A one-sample t-test in Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 23 was used ...

Millions of people are every year forcefully displaced from their places of residence and alienated from access to livelihood assets through large-scale development projects. This article examines different socio-economic consequences of displacement and resettlement caused by the planned oil-refinery site in Uganda. Household survey and interviews were employed to elicit the necessary data, analysed through descriptive statistics, logistic-regression and content analysis. Although the resettlement process exposed households to some benefits, most households were exposed to substantial risks. Over 81 per cent of households experiencing displacement lost their land and experienced reduced resource access. The results also showed significant relationships between consequences and socio-economic characteristics of respondents in that both male and female respondents had access to more and productive assets; and larger land sizes and incomes were reported to have been more affected. Als...

Generally, soil characteristics have a significant influence on landslide occurrence. This issue has, however, not yet been adequately analysed in Kigezi highlands of South Western Uganda. In this study, soil properties such as dispersion, grain size distribution, Atterberg limits, shear strength and clay mineralogy were analysed to establish their contribution to the spatial distribution of landslides in Kigezi highlands. The results demonstrate that deep soil profiles ranging between 2.5 and 7 meters were dominated by clay-pans at a depth between 0.75 and 3 meters. Although the uppermost surface horizons of the soil profile are loamy sand, the clay content is more than 35% especially in the sub soil. This suggests that the soil materials are Vertic in nature. In addition, the upper soil layers predominantly contain quartz, while subsurface horizons have considerable amounts of illite as the dominant clay minerals, ranging from 43–47%. The average liquid limit and plasticity index ...

The upper Rwizi river system in South Western Uganda has been severely degraded due to encroachment and unsustainable resource utilization. Little is, however, known about the link between the upper Rwizi macro-watershed health and land use/cover patterns from the spatiotemporal perspective. This study evaluated the relationship between spatiotemporal land use/ cover change and upper river Rwizi macro watershed health. Remotely sensed data was used to analyze the spatiotemporal land use and cover distribution for upper Rwizi macro watershed. The analysis was done using Landsat and Sentinel imagery datasets spanning 1990 to 2020 and 2016 to 2021 respectively. Field verification was undertaken to confirm the land use, cover types, and evaluate the implications of prevailing anthropogenic activities on the watershed health. The land use and cover characteristics in the upper Rwizi macro-watershed exhibits both highly spatial and temporal variations. By 1990, grassland as the dominant l...

<p>Analyzing the dominant forms and extent of land cover changes in the Mount Elgon region is important for tracking conservation efforts and sustainable land management. Mount Elgon's rugged terrain limits monitoring these changes over large areas. With conducive climatic conditions, highly fertile and productive soils; Elgon is one of the densely populated rural mountainous regions in East Africa. The demand for more agricultural land and space for settlement has led to continued vegetation clearance and encroachment of the park. These pressures combined with the loss of vegetation cover have led to the continued occurrence of natural hazards, especially landslides and soil erosion events. Recent studies have given focus to these hazards and coping strategies. However, monitoring changes in land cover and associated driving factors are fundamental towards the improvement of land use, land restoration, and vegetation recovery in Mount Elgon. This study used multitemporal satellite imagery, aerial photographs, field surveys, and expert interviews to analyze and quantify the land cover flows in the upper Manafwa watershed of Mount Elgon, for 42 years covering an area of  319.73km<sup>2</sup>. The study employed remote sensing techniques and geographic information system and software to map land cover changes for four stages (1978-1988, 1988-2001, 2001-2010, and 2010-2020). The study considered nine land cover classes; tropical high forest well-stocked, grassland, shrubs, bushland, bare & sparsely vegetated surfaces, tropical high forest low-stocked, agriculture, planted forest, and built-up. The maximum likelihood classifier of supervised classification and post-classification comparison technique was used in land cover classification and change detection analysis. The classified maps of 2020, 2010, 2001, 1988 and 1978 achieved high accuracy values of 93%, 89%, 89%, 88% and 83% respectively. Results showed conversion of tropical high forest well-stocked (22%), grassland (6.89%), shrubs (6.21%), bushland (4.29%), and bare & sparsely vegetated surfaces (1%) into agriculture (19.8%), tropical high forest low-stocked (10.29%), planted forest (5.83%) and built-up (4.46%) most especially at the peripheries of the park from 1978 to 2020. These dynamics are due to rapid population growth and increasing demand for agriculture space. Regreening as a restoration effort has led to an increase in land area for planted forests, attributed to an improvement in conservation efforts jointly implemented by the concerned stakeholders and native communities. Landsat satellite imagery provides information on change detection which is resourceful to tracking conservation efforts. The trend of land cover flows found in this study, especially illustrations of areas of deforestation and loss of natural vegetation cover classes provides resourceful information for policymakers and responsible authorities to further take appropriate decisions and actions to revert the situation and reduce encroachment into the National Park. Near real-time monitoring systems of human disturbances in conservation areas should also be incorporated and actions are taken to minimize forest encroachment. These findings could further, enhance the implementation of rigorous conservation efforts when coupled with in-depth studies on associated determinants of these changes.</p>

Buyinza M, Mugagga F (2010) Economic viability of hot pepper (Capsicum frutescens L.) cultivation in agroforestry farming system in Kamuli district, Uganda. J. Innov. Dev. Strategy 4(1), 12-17. Hot pepper (Capsicum frutescens L.) is cultivated widely in Uganda as an agricultural crop either in open field or in the agroforestry system. An economic assessment, using cost-benefit analysis, was carried out on hot pepper cultivation under agroforestry farming system and field observation in selected Grevillea robusta as a tree crop and hot pepper, Zea mays L. and Phaseolus vulgaris L. as agriculture crops intercropping in Kamuli district, Uganda between June-December 2004. The results from the Benefit-Cost Ratio (BCR) showed that hot pepper and Grevillea robusta agroforestry intercrop produced the highest economic returns compared to beans and maize monocultural systems. Grevillea and hot pepper intercropping also fulfilled the basic need of fuel wood from the pruning of branches and tim...

Buyinza M, Mugagga F (2010) Economics of land degradation in mid-hills of Mt. Elgon watershed, Eastern Uganda. J. Soil Nature 4(1), 1-6. This paper explores the socioeconomic impacts of land degradation in the mid-hills of Mt. Elgon catchment, eastern Uganda. The study results show that about 59, 21, 11, 7, 3 and 2% of the average income contribution to the household economy come from off-farm, livestock, fruits, vegetables, cash and cereal crops respectively. Populations densities are, in general, high in these areas and most land, including marginal lands, are under cultivation. Terracing farmland and planting fodder trees on terrace edge and on terrace risers are the traditional farming practices in order to minimize soil erosion and to maintain crop production. Slash and burn activities are continuously being practiced in the on-site for many years. Few farmers adopted soil conservation techniques such as use of mulching, hedgerows, mixed cropping of cereals with legumes and min...

This paper provides an overview of existing agricultural policies in Uganda and how they address the key AgriFose2030 target groups that include; smallholder farmers, women and youth. One of the main policies in Uganda’s agricultural sector is the National Agriculture Policy (NAP) which deals with commercialization of smallholder agriculture through accessibility of financial services such as, loans. However, NAP lacks a consistent and implementation framework thereby hindering proper transformation and increase of agricultural production in the sector. The Agriculture Sector Strategic Plan (ASSP) of 2015/16 to 2019/20 lays out the priorities and interventions that are crucial to transforming smallholder farmers into commercial farmers. The five year strategy focuses on improving the accessibility of critical farm inputs such as, fertilizers as wells value addition and markets for the agricultural produce. However, the strategy is constrained by unfavorable conditions for agricultur...

This chapter examines the influence of agricultural land uses on the occurrence of landslides in the humid tropical environments of Kigezi highlands in South Western Uganda. Analysis of the agricultural land use practices is a prerequisite to understanding landscape fragility and community resilience to landslide hazards. An analysis of agricultural land use patterns was undertaken through interpretation of Sentinel 2A images for 2016. The imagery data was acquired from the European Space Agency (ESA) Sentinels Scientific Data Hub. Field surveys and investigations were also carried out to establish and map the spatial distribution of landslide hazards. Six agricultural land use categories were identified, namely, annuals, perennials, grazing, fallow, wood lots and agroforestry. Considering the agricultural land use patterns, annual crops are the dominant agricultural land use type spanning 69% of the total area followed; by perennials (13%). Grazing land and fallows covered 11% and ...

An assessment of the socio-economic implications of landslide occurrence in the Kigezi highlands of South Western Uganda was conducted. Landslide occurrence is on the increase and threatens community livelihoods in these highlands. Detailed field investigations were undertaken with the help of local communities between June 2018 and May 2020 to identify and map recent and visible landslide scars in Rukiga uplands of Kigezi highlands. In the course of field inventories, 85 visible landslide scars were identified and mapped using handheld GPS receivers to produce a landslide distribution map for the study area. A socio-economic analysis was conducted to establish the effects of landslide damage on people’s livelihoods as well as their existing coping and adaptation mechanisms. The assessment was administered through field observations and surveying, focus group discussions, key informants and household interviews as well as the use of Local Government Environmental Reports. The study ...

ABSTRACT The study aimed at understanding the implications of compensation packages for the social networks of displaced persons in Uganda’s oil-rich Albertine Graben. Questionnaires, interviews, focus group discussions, and observations were used to obtain data from purposively selected respondents. Qualitative data was analysed using content analysis while quantitative data analysis entailed generating descriptive statistics (percentages) and inferential analysis was performed through cross-tabulation by way of chi-square tests. There was a significant association between compensation type and social network distortion for the affected groups (p = 0.000). Institutional management of different compensation packages exhibited professional shortcomings that need to be addressed to build sustainable social networks such as credit facilities. We thus recommend that government involves all stakeholders at every development phase and that compensation rates are continuously updated to allow for fair compensation rates in future and effective resettlement procedures during induced-displacement and resettlement processes.

This paper investigates the role of tenure security in defining resettlement packages for oil refinery displaced communities of the Kabaale parish. The parish is located in the Buseruka sub-county, Hoima district in western Uganda. Descriptive and explorative designs employing both qualitative and quantitative approaches were used to enlist data from forty-eight displaced households as well as key informants. Quantitative data was analysed using frequencies, percentages, mean and standard deviation. Qualitative data was analysed using content analysis that entailed data review, organisation and indexing for easy retrieval and identification of themes and relationships between categories. Customary land tenure is not fully acknowledged as legitimate, and thus customary landowners were not fairly treated as compared to those whose land was formally registered under freehold tenure. It was found that women and other secondary land rights owners were unfairly treated in the resettlement...

ABSTRACT The global dimensions of climate change necessitate a response that takes national differences – social, economic, geographic, and cultural – into account. Action-oriented education has a key role to play in advancing citizen engagement in a culture of sustainability. This paper describes research conducted with one such education programme, Youth Leading Environmental Change (YLEC), which operates in six countries and engages university-aged youth in discussion and practice related to global sustainability, systems thinking, and environmental justice. YLEC aims to advance four key competencies; this paper focuses on the goal of action competence, which involves acquiring knowledge, reflecting on experience in the context of one’s values, envisioning alternative futures, and acting individually and collectively to advance those alternatives. The present article examines the impacts of YLEC on environmental action competence in two of the countries involved in this research: Uganda and Germany. In-depth interviews were conducted with participants in both countries to examine the development of action competence during and after the programme. Findings suggest that outcomes differed in each country, reflective of participants’ different lived experiences. YLEC effectively built on the conditions faced in each country to accompany youth to a higher level of awareness and action. These findings have implications for environmental education programmes striving to work with multiple nations and diverse participants.

An assessment of the influence of topography on landslide occurrence in the Kigezi highlands of southwestern Uganda was conducted. Whereas the frequency and magnitude of landslides in these highlands are on the increase, the topographic attributes underpinning landslide occurrence are not well understood. Sixty-five landslide scars were surveyed and mapped to produce landslide distribution maps. Specific topographic parameters, namely slope gradient, profile curvature, topographic wetness index (TWI), stream power index (SPI), and topographic position index (TPI), were assessed on landslide slope sites. The attributes were parameterized in the field and GIS environment using a 10-m DEM. Landslides were noted to concentrate along narrow topographic hollows, as opposed to broad concave slopes in the landscape. The occurrence is dominant in slope zones where slope gradient, profile curvature, TWI, TPI, and SPI are 25°–35°, 0.1–5, 8–18, − 1–1, and > 10, respectively. It was established that profile curvature and slope gradient are the most and least significant topographic parameters in landslide occurrence (R2 = 0.802, p value = 0.088 and R2 = 0.5665, p value = 0.057), respectively. An understanding of these topographic underpinnings would serve to identify and predict potential landslide zones within the landscape and enhance landslide hazard mitigation.

Abstract The recent oil and gas exploration activities in the Albertine region of western Uganda has raised a debate on the plight of the local people at various scales. We used local perspectives on the socio-economic and environmental impacts of oil and gas exploration activities as a lens to examine the extent to which the “resource curse” and “resource blessing” theories are applicable in the oil and gas exploration sites in Uganda. Data was collected from Kyeihoro and Kaiso villages in Hoima district, western Uganda. Exploratory research design in which a total of 285 households randomly selected participated in a survey. The most mentioned positive socio-economic impacts were not directly linked to oil and gas exploration and these included: construction of roads and increased business opportunities. Direct positive impacts such as employment and increased wage rates were the least mentioned. The views of proponents of the “resource curse” theory were also reflected in the perspectives and these included: price inflation, increase in social ills and environmental degradation especially noise pollution, soil erosion and wildlife disturbance. The perceptions of local people indicate that oil and gas exploration activities can be both a “blessing” or “curse”.

Abstract This paper presents new data on urban households’ agriculture, food environments and non-communicable disease (obesity, diabetes, hypertension) in two intermediate-sized Ugandan cities (Mbale and Mbarara). Nutrition transition theory suggests that fast-foods, eating out and supermarket shopping, together with sedentary urban lifestyles and less agricultural activity, are drivers of growing non-communicable disease burden. We explore these claims using statistics from a 2015 socio-economic and anthropometric survey of 1995 households. Results indicate that these cities are already experiencing non-communicable diseases, despite a lack of advanced food system and nutritional transitions. Surveyed households generally had low or medium dietary diversity, and a diet pattern and an agricultural practice primarily geared towards staple foods. Food transfers (mainly staples) from rural relatives were common, particularly for agricultural households. These farming households also had better income status than non-farming households. Experience of food insecurity was relatively common. Nevertheless, high prevalence and strongly gendered patterns of obesity were identified. In contrast to some theorising of the farming practice of urban-based households, there was little evidence that such agriculture was fuelled by poverty, vulnerability or migrant status. Findings also imply that there are other drivers of epidemiologic change in these cities than those suggested by nutrition transition theory.

Abstract Africa is endowed with vast water resources including but not limited to lakes, rivers, swamps and underground aquifers. However, the way of life in Africa does not reflect this kind of wealth owing majorly to degradation and underutilization of these water resources. This review discusses the centrality of water resources in Africa's pursuit of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Following the Sustainable Development Model, the paper thematically examines and synthesizes the importance and potentials of water resources to Africa's development through exploring their contributions and limitations to the various economic sectors namely; agricultural and livestock production, energy, manufacturing and processing, tourism, health, fisheries, trade and other institutional mechanisms such as payment for ecosystem services (PES), mutual cooperation and economic cooperation. Data were collected by review of online peer-reviewed and grey literature published between the year 2000 and 2015. It is observed that sustainable management of water and sanitation for all (SDG 6) will be central to the attainment of all the other SDGs (particularly SDG 1 (No poverty), 2 (No hunger), 3 (Good health), 14 (life below water) and 15 (life on land)) across Africa. African states should therefore increase their commitment to water conservation and management as this will significantly decide Africa's future development paths.

Abstract Significant cultural transformations of the kinds that are needed to move our global society toward sustainability require youth to engage in environmental actions. These actions are more than just updating one's personal practice (e.g., recycling). They are “intentional and conscious civic behaviors that are focused on systemic causes of environmental problems and the promotion of environmental sustainability through collective efforts” (Alisat & Riemer, 2015, p. 14). The current study investigated the effectiveness of the Youth Leading Environmental Change (YLEC) program, which fostered such environmental actions in six participating countries. YLEC is an 11-unit evidence-based youth engagement workshop series, with a focus on environmental justice and on building action competence. The study employed a mixed-method longitudinal comparison group design with three follow-ups at 3, 6, and 12 months. Overall, 365 university students from Bangladesh, Canada, Germany, India, Uganda, and the United S...

ABSTRACT A range of published and grey literature over the last three decades has underlined the importance of Urban and Peri-Urban Agriculture and Forestry (UPAF) in cities of developing regions. The focus in the published literature is on livelihoods, poverty reduction and ecosystems services at multiple city scales. Cities of developing regions, particularly in Africa, are searching for ways of addressing the unavoidable impacts of climate change and UPAF has demonstrated scalable adaptation and mitigation potential. However, evidence of UPAF’s role in mitigating and adaptation to climate change is scattered in various reports and has not been synthesized for its potential role in urban adaptation strategies. Building on the earlier poverty reduction focus of UPAF research, this paper contributes to UPAF knowledge regarding mitigating and adapting to climate change in urban and peri-urban areas in East and West Africa. It reports on a systematic review and synthesis of the available literature on these regions, and selected sources on other parts of sub-Saharan Africa, examining the extent to which it conveys any evidence for UPAF playing a role in mediating the effects of climate/environmental change. Limited empirical verification was undertaken in Kampala and Ibadan, but this does not form the basis for systematic generalization. The key emerging areas of adaptation and mitigation include enhanced food security, productive greening, ecosystem services and innovative policy for urban resilience and transformation.