How research and engagement influenced Uganda’s climate change adaptation landscape

The document examines the process and impact of an economic study in Uganda that found the cost of inaction on climate change to be 20–24 times higher than the cost of adaptation. This evidence facilitated the integration of climate change into national development plans (NDP II and NDP III), the elevation of the Climate Change Unit to a Department, and the passage of the National Climate Change Act 2021. Key success factors included continuous engagement with high-level leadership, an in-country presence, and the use of layered communication products like documentary films. However, challenges remain in sub-national implementation and the lack of dedicated climate budget lines in the national budgeting system.

• The economic assessment provided a critical financial justification for climate action, estimating that the "cost of inaction" on climate change in Uganda was 20–24 times higher than the cost of action or adaptation, with total costs estimated between US$ 273–427 billion.
• The study's findings were instrumental in mainstreaming climate change into Uganda's national planning, specifically influencing the Second National Development Plan (NDP II) for 2015/16–2019/20 and the Third National Development Plan (NDP III) for 2020/21–2024/25.
• The evidence generated by the study contributed to institutional strengthening by facilitating the transformation of the Climate Change Unit into the Climate Change Department in July 2014, providing it with a legal position, permanent staff, and a government budget.
• The study's data on the high economic cost of climate change was used to advocate for and inform the National Climate Change Act 2021, which was assented to in August 2021 and came into force in January 2022.
• The research results helped Uganda secure international climate finance by providing the necessary justification for proposals submitted to agencies such as the Green Climate Fund, Adaptation Fund, European Union, and Global Environmental Facility.
• Successful knowledge uptake was driven by a 'layered' communication strategy that translated technical reports into accessible formats, most notably a policy booklet and a documentary film.
• Despite national-level progress, sub-national mainstreaming remains limited due to weak technical capacity and a lack of dedicated funding at the district level, with the exception of the Kampala Capital City Authority.
• A significant barrier to implementation is the lack of climate-specific budget lines in Uganda's Programme-based Budgeting System (PBS), leading the Ministry of Finance to initiate a Climate Change Budget Tagging (CCBT) process in 2018 with World Bank support.

APA

Twinomuhangi, R., Scodanibbio, L., McNamara, L., & Kasagazi, S. M. (2022). How research and engagement influenced Uganda’s climate change adaptation landscape. Climate and Development Knowledge Network. https://cdkn.org/sites/default/files/2022-08/CDKN%20Uganda%20Learning%20Story%20web.pdf

Chicago

Twinomuhangi, Revocatus, Lucia Scodanibbio, Lisa McNamara, and Semambo Muhammad Kasagazi. How research and engagement influenced Uganda’s climate change adaptation landscape. Climate and Development Knowledge Network, 2022. https://cdkn.org/sites/default/files/2022-08/CDKN%20Uganda%20Learning%20Story%20web.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Twinomuhangi |first1=Revocatus |last2=Scodanibbio |first2=Lucia |last3=McNamara |first3=Lisa |last4=Kasagazi |first4=Semambo Muhammad |title=How research and engagement influenced Uganda’s climate change adaptation landscape |publisher=Climate and Development Knowledge Network |date=August 2022 |url=https://cdkn.org/sites/default/files/2022-08/CDKN%20Uganda%20Learning%20Story%20web.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{twinomuhangi2022how, author = {Twinomuhangi, Revocatus and Scodanibbio, Lucia and McNamara, Lisa and Kasagazi, Semambo Muhammad}, title = {{How research and engagement influenced Uganda’s climate change adaptation landscape}}, institution = {Climate and Development Knowledge Network}, year = {2022}, month = aug, url = {https://cdkn.org/sites/default/files/2022-08/CDKN%20Uganda%20Learning%20Story%20web.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }