Increased access to extension services will be required for communities currently voluntarily vacating wetlands to adopt new technologies geared towards increasing resilience to climate change.
Through the Ministry of Water and Environment, with funding from the government, the Green Climate Fund and the United Nations Development Program, the government supports communities to start a new livelihood. Enterprises such as piggery, fish farming, goat rearing, heifer, and mini-irrigation schemes are benefiting thousands of wetland-dependent communities in 24 districts of southwestern and eastern Uganda.
Under the irrigation schemes, communities are growing high-yielding crops like watermelon, carrots, cabbage, eggplants, tomatoes, onions, and paprika. Those who received goats, heifers and piggery, however, will need more extension services to be able to break even.
Ms. Rose Ajulut, a resident of Kakira village, Kakira parish, Komuge sub-county, Bukedea district, explains that whereas they are excited about the enterprise, they are challenged by the limited services of the professional extension workers. “I received one goat, which has since produced twice. The first time, it produced one kid. The second time, it produced two, but one died because it did not receive adequate treatment,” Ajulut, the mother of seven, notes. On a recent visit to Ajulut, we found her attending to her goats. The goats are fairly looking great. Ajulut is resolute in becoming resilient to climate change impacts, but her main concern is the limited access to professional extension services. The same can be said about several other beneficiaries who received alternative livelihoods but are struggling to adapt to the new technologies.
“I feed my goats well because I plan to grow this enterprise to a large farm,” she says. I am grateful to the government for its support. I promise I will not return to the wetland. My only appeal is that it would get more access to extension services, he can do better and improve our livelihoods,” She adds.
Under the implementation arrangements, the government is expected to co-fund. This is limited to the government officers’ knowledge, time, and office space. With very limited resources available to the local governments, districts such as Bukedea are not able to fully facilitate the extension workers to provide comprehensive extension services.