CLIMATE RISK MANAGEMENT FOR SUSTAINABLE CROP PRODUCTION IN UGANDA: RAKAI AND KAPCHORWA DISTRICTS

This report, commissioned by the UNDP and implemented by the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD), assesses climate risks to crop production—specifically maize, beans, and coffee—in Uganda's Rakai and Kapchorwa districts. It identifies that while Uganda has seen economic growth, its heavy reliance on rain-fed agriculture makes it highly vulnerable to increasing droughts, floods, and rising temperatures. The study combines local consultations, crop modelling, and literature reviews to recommend a holistic risk management approach involving conservation agriculture, improved irrigation, stress-resistant crop varieties, and strengthened national governance and coordination.

• Uganda is experiencing a rise in temperature and an increase in the frequency and intensity of droughts. Temperatures have risen by 0.37° C per decade since 1960, and while long-term rainfall trends are unclear, floods and landslides are increasing.
• Climate hazards significantly disrupt agricultural productivity in Rakai and Kapchorwa, leading to the abandonment of traditional farming calendars. Farmers report irregular seasons, shorter but more intense rains, and prolonged droughts, such as a six-month drought in Rakai in 2009.
• Crop modelling using the Decision Support System for Agrotechnology Transfer (DSSAT) indicates that by 2050, maize production in Kapchorwa's Sanzara parish may decrease by 8 to 10 percent and bean production by around 6 percent, while impacts in Rakai are projected to be negligible.
• Coffee production is highly sensitive to climate variability. In Kapchorwa, farmers have observed the emergence of 'fly crops'—coffee flowering outside the normal cycle—which results in lower yields and smaller beans.
• Smallholder farmers employ various coping strategies, but some are maladaptive and increase environmental vulnerability. Examples include encroaching on wetlands to plant quick-maturing crops during droughts and illegal deforestation for charcoal production.
• Socio-economic factors, particularly high HIV/AIDS prevalence in Rakai (12 percent, nearly double the national average), exacerbate climate vulnerability by reducing the available agricultural labour force.
• Uganda has established institutional frameworks for climate risk, including the Climate Change Unit (CCU) and the National Policy for Disaster Preparedness and Management (2010), but these suffer from limited financial and human capacity.
• There is a critical gap in climate data collection and dissemination. Only 12 meteorological stations are currently operating, and information is often provided in English, making it inaccessible to many local farmers.
• Priority risk management actions include promoting small-scale irrigation, conservation agriculture, and the dissemination of affordable, stress-resistant crop varieties to reduce sensitivity to climate shocks.
• Effective governance requires mainstreaming climate risk into all public policy documents, including the draft coffee policy, and improving vertical and horizontal coordination between government agencies and local communities.

APA

Dekens, J., Dion, J., Kutegeka, S., Nyombi, K., Nakangu, B., Bagyenda, R., Mbosa, M., & McCandless, M. (2013). CLIMATE RISK MANAGEMENT FOR SUSTAINABLE CROP PRODUCTION IN UGANDA: RAKAI AND KAPCHORWA DISTRICTS. International Institute for Sustainable Development. https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/crm_uganda.pdf

Chicago

Dekens, Julie, Jason Dion, Sophie Kutegeka, Kenneth Nyombi, Barbara Nakangu, Robert Bagyenda, Martha Mbosa, and Matt McCandless. CLIMATE RISK MANAGEMENT FOR SUSTAINABLE CROP PRODUCTION IN UGANDA: RAKAI AND KAPCHORWA DISTRICTS. International Institute for Sustainable Development, 2013. https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/crm_uganda.pdf.

Wikipedia

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BibTeX

@techreport{dekens2013climate, author = {Dekens, Julie and Dion, Jason and Kutegeka, Sophie and Nyombi, Kenneth and Nakangu, Barbara and Bagyenda, Robert and Mbosa, Martha and McCandless, Matt}, title = {{CLIMATE RISK MANAGEMENT FOR SUSTAINABLE CROP PRODUCTION IN UGANDA: RAKAI AND KAPCHORWA DISTRICTS}}, institution = {International Institute for Sustainable Development}, year = {2013}, month = jan, url = {https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/crm_uganda.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }