Abstract:

Climate change is a major cause oHojxI insecurity in developing counhicsJike Uganda where
tlie poor people and small scale farmers have liiiiited options lor adaptation. Households adjacent
to wetlands often adapt to climate change by depending on them for food security. However,
interventions for climate change adaptation in developing countries are often poorly targeted
clue to insufficient data on climate trends. The objective of this study was to determine household
perception of climate change iii wetland adjacent areas, to inform clunate change and adaptation
policy in Uganda. The study was conducted at two sites, Lake Nakivale wetland system in
Isingiro district (south-western Uganda) and Lake Kyoga basin wetland systems in Pallisa
district (eastern Uganda). The study employed a cross sectional design, using a semi-structured
questionnaire, and surveyed a total of520 households. Results of the study show that a majority
(92%) of the households were aware of climate change. Climate change was perceived by
households in form of prolonged dry weather (54%) and hotter and drier seasons (34%).
Over 90% of the respondents had noticed climate change in various forms: increased
temperature (92%), decreased rainfall (95%), changes in the length of seasons (97%), more
frequent droughts (93%), more severe droughts (92%) and more severe floods in Pallisa.
Households perceived climate change in the form of increased temperatures and droughts,
and generally had a gloomy outlook for the future, insisting that climate change will be more
severe than currently experienced. More households in Isingiro district perceived climate
change to be niore severe in the future than expected (%2 (2) =43.67, P<0.001). Owing to the
perception of more frequent and severe droughts and reduced rainfall, households around
wetlands will continue to use wetlands for fanning and other livelihood needs. Thus, unless