Economic Assessment of the Impacts of Climate Change in Uganda

The report examines climate change impacts in the Karamoja region of Uganda through case studies of three villages: Oryeotyene North ward (agricultural zone), Nakayot (agro-pastoralist zone), and Lopedot (pastoral zone). It finds that recent droughts and floods have caused production losses of 50% to 100% for many households, with the 2014 drought being particularly severe. The study estimates that without adaptation, future extreme events could lead to significant losses in crop and livestock value by 2050, while long-term temperature and rainfall trends may reduce yields for maize and beans. Livestock is identified as providing greater resilience than crops, as animals can be moved to other regions during crises. Recommended adaptation priorities include improving water availability, capacity building, and crop diversification.

• Recent severe climate events, including droughts and floods, have caused substantial agricultural losses, with some households experiencing "losses of 50 to 100% of total expected production".
• The 2014 drought resulted in significant average losses per household across the three study sites: approximately $179 in Oryeotyene North ward, between $159 and $501 in Nakayot, and between $748 and $1,224 in Lopedot.
• Livestock production is perceived as more resilient than crop production because animals can be moved to other regions for grazing during droughts, allowing households to "retain some limited household consumption of milk and meat, and also to retain remaining livestock assets for future years".
• Illustrative projections of future losses from extreme climate events up to 2050 suggest potential crop production value losses of 9% to 18% for Oryeotyene Northward, 15% to 32% for Nakayot, and 19% to 28% for Lopedot.
• Long-term climate trends (rainfall and temperature) are projected to reduce yields of key crops by 2050, with potential reductions of up to 12% for maize and up to 20% for beans.
• The study identifies improving water availability as a "Very High" priority adaptation response, noting that the net benefits from water conservation and collection are high relative to costs.
• Other high-priority adaptation strategies include capacity building, crop diversification, and the provision of pasture for animals.
• There is a risk that the gap in living standards between the Karamoja region and the rest of Uganda will widen, as national per capita income is projected to grow faster than regional agricultural productivity.

APA

Dale, N., Markandya, A., Wanzira, H., & Nakendo, I. (2015). Economic Assessment of the Impacts of Climate Change in Uganda. Climate and Development Knowledge Network. https://cdkn.org/sites/default/files/files/Uganda_CC-economics_Karamoja_case-study2.pdf

Chicago

Dale, Nick, Anil Markandya, Humphrey Wanzira, and Isaac Nakendo. Economic Assessment of the Impacts of Climate Change in Uganda. Climate and Development Knowledge Network, 2015. https://cdkn.org/sites/default/files/files/Uganda_CC-economics_Karamoja_case-study2.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Dale |first1=Nick |last2=Markandya |first2=Anil |last3=Wanzira |first3=Humphrey |last4=Nakendo |first4=Isaac |title=Economic Assessment of the Impacts of Climate Change in Uganda |publisher=Climate and Development Knowledge Network |date=October 2015 |url=https://cdkn.org/sites/default/files/files/Uganda_CC-economics_Karamoja_case-study2.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{dale2015economic, author = {Dale, Nick and Markandya, Anil and Wanzira, Humphrey and Nakendo, Isaac}, title = {{Economic Assessment of the Impacts of Climate Change in Uganda}}, institution = {Climate and Development Knowledge Network}, year = {2015}, month = oct, url = {https://cdkn.org/sites/default/files/files/Uganda_CC-economics_Karamoja_case-study2.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }