Economic Assessment of the Impacts of Climate Change in Uganda Briefing Note: Infrastructure in the Kampala Urban Area

This briefing note presents a case study on the economic impacts of climate change on infrastructure in the Kampala urban area of Uganda. It focuses on the rising costs of flooding and the estimated financial requirements for climate-proofing buildings and roads through 2050.

• Annual damages from flooding in Kampala are projected to increase significantly by 2050 due to population growth and appreciating assets. If the intensity and frequency of extreme events remain the same as in 2013, annual damages could rise from US$1 million to US$7 million in 2013 to between US$33 million and US$101 million by 2050. If the frequency of extreme events doubles by 2050, annual damages are projected to reach between US$67 million and US$203 million.
• The estimated cost to climate-proof new and existing buildings and roads in Kampala between 2015 and 2050 ranges from US$3.3 billion to US$3.7 billion. Buildings represent 99.8% of these costs, with private buildings accounting for 95% of the building category and residential buildings making up 72% of all building costs.
• Kampala's vulnerability to heavy rains is exacerbated by human activity and poor infrastructure, specifically the clearing of hillside vegetation which increases runoff and the encroachment of settlements onto wetlands, which reduces the ecosystem's ability to manage surface water. Additionally, the city is vulnerable to drought because it lacks alternative water supply sources to Lake Victoria and faces potential risks to hydro-electricity generation.
• Recommended adaptation measures for Kampala include revising the Kampala Physical Development Plan (KPDP, 2012) and building codes to align with climate projections, promoting bio-climatic designs, and strengthening the enforcement of Environmental Impact Assessments to protect wetlands. The report also suggests mainstreaming adaptation into the Low Carbon Development and Climate Resilient (LCDCR) Strategy.

APA

Climate and Development Knowledge Network (n.d.). Economic Assessment of the Impacts of Climate Change in Uganda Briefing Note: Infrastructure in the Kampala Urban Area. https://cdkn.org/sites/default/files/files/Uganda_CC-Economics_Kampala_Case-study_Briefing-Note.pdf

Chicago

Climate and Development Knowledge Network. Economic Assessment of the Impacts of Climate Change in Uganda Briefing Note: Infrastructure in the Kampala Urban Area. n.d. https://cdkn.org/sites/default/files/files/Uganda_CC-Economics_Kampala_Case-study_Briefing-Note.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Climate and Development Knowledge Network |title=Economic Assessment of the Impacts of Climate Change in Uganda Briefing Note: Infrastructure in the Kampala Urban Area |url=https://cdkn.org/sites/default/files/files/Uganda_CC-Economics_Kampala_Case-study_Briefing-Note.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{climateanddevelopmentknowledgenetworkndeconomic, author = {{Climate and Development Knowledge Network}}, title = {{Economic Assessment of the Impacts of Climate Change in Uganda Briefing Note: Infrastructure in the Kampala Urban Area}}, institution = {Climate and Development Knowledge Network}, url = {https://cdkn.org/sites/default/files/files/Uganda_CC-Economics_Kampala_Case-study_Briefing-Note.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }