Rain is Political and Other Climate Truths

The research identifies that climate disinformation in southwestern Uganda is propagated by authority figures—including politicians, religious leaders, and traditional elders—who exploit cultural norms and farmer vulnerability. Key narratives include framing climate change as a "Western agenda," carbon markets as a form of neo-colonialism, and environmental disasters as divine punishment. These narratives, combined with political greenwashing (such as promoting unsuitable eucalyptus trees or commercial crops without soil research), lead to agricultural failure, financial loss, and a distrust of scientific adaptation. The study emphasizes that countering these trends requires trust-building, youth engagement, and climate literacy programs delivered in local languages and relatable formats.

• Climate disinformation in Uganda is often framed through narratives of foreign interference and neo-colonialism, specifically targeting global climate finance. Examples include claims that climate change is a "Western agenda" and that carbon markets are a tool for recolonization.
• Religious and cultural beliefs frequently replace scientific understanding of climate events with fatalism. Some community members interpret droughts and floods as divine punishment or the result of ancestral anger, which hinders the adoption of science-based adaptation measures.
• Politicians in Ngoma Sub-county engage in greenwashing by using environmental projects as campaign tools without conducting necessary technical research. This has led to ecological and financial damage, such as the promotion of eucalyptus trees in areas where the underlying rock prevents root growth and the encouragement of chili farming in dry corridors that required costly pesticides and herbicides.
• Disinformation spreads through different channels based on demographics: rural farmers rely primarily on radio, churches, and political rallies, while digitally active youth are more susceptible to exaggerated farming claims and misinformation on social media platforms like TikTok and Facebook.
• Misleading agricultural advice from political figures and media programs has caused direct food insecurity and soil degradation. One farmer experienced seasonal famine after replacing traditional seeds with maize seeds provided by a politician that failed to germinate in the second season.

APA

Linda, N. A. (2025). Rain is Political and Other Climate Truths. Roots. https://poweredbyroots.org/media/pages/highlights/fellowship-for-countering-disinformation/778ed266da-1762906574/uganda-case-study.docx.pdf

Chicago

Linda, Ninsiima Alison. Rain is Political and Other Climate Truths. Roots, 2025. https://poweredbyroots.org/media/pages/highlights/fellowship-for-countering-disinformation/778ed266da-1762906574/uganda-case-study.docx.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Linda |first1=Ninsiima Alison |title=Rain is Political and Other Climate Truths |publisher=Roots |date=November 2025 |url=https://poweredbyroots.org/media/pages/highlights/fellowship-for-countering-disinformation/778ed266da-1762906574/uganda-case-study.docx.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{linda2025rain, author = {Linda, Ninsiima Alison}, title = {{Rain is Political and Other Climate Truths}}, institution = {Roots}, year = {2025}, month = nov, url = {https://poweredbyroots.org/media/pages/highlights/fellowship-for-countering-disinformation/778ed266da-1762906574/uganda-case-study.docx.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }