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Ugandans plant and innovate to fight effects of climate change

by Pius Sawa | Thomson Reuters Foundation
Monday, 13 December 2010 17:16 GMT

On the slopes of Mount Elgon in eastern Uganda, residents are fighting back against the effects of climate change

KITSI, Uganda (AlertNet) – On the slopes of Mount Elgon in eastern Uganda, residents are fighting back against the effects of climate change, trying to avert a repeat of landslides that washed away three villages and displaced thousands earlier this year.

Many are planting trees and reintroducing crops to prevent soil erosion, and coming up with innovative ways to store water, cook and refrigerate vegetables that preserve natural resources and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

The measures are essential in an area where a combination of poor land use and the effects of climate change have created deadly conditions. More than 350 people were buried in mudslides triggered by rains in March this year, according to government estimates. Only 150 bodies have been found.

As the population on the slopes of Mount Elgon has swelled, more and more trees have been felled to make way for homes and farmland, to provide timber for construction and to produce wood to burn for charcoal to satisfy rising fuel demands.

This has left the mountain’s slopes bare, making them highly vulnerable to soil erosion and landslides.

“In 1980, there were a lot of trees on the slopes. But the trees have been cut down and that is why we are facing soil erosion and changes in rain patterns,” said Felix Kusolo, a community development officer in Kitsi, a village in Manafwa district.

River Manafwa, which runs down Mount Elgon, now has bare banks, Kusolo said.

“When it rains, the river breaks the banks, sweeping away the crops or soaking all the fields,” he added.

But reforestation programmes are beginning to reverse some of the damage.

Through a joint venture between Manafwa’s forestry department and a non-governmental organisation called Kitsi Farmers, or KIFANGO, farmers produce seedlings of indigenous trees and distribute them free to residents. There are 83 farmers in KIFANGO, 53 of whom are women.

Thanks to reforestation, residents of Nalondo sub-county, where Kitsi is located, are enjoying a renovated microclimate. Clouds frequently form above the area, temperatures are cool and there is frequent rainfall that is sustaining crops and pasture for livestock. From a nearby hill, the lush, cultivated slopes stand out from neighbouring areas.

“Trees have been planted on the hills, which has helped bring a good amount of rainfall to the area, compared to neighbouring districts,” said John Sam Kundu, 68, a farmer from Kitsi who belongs to KIFANGO and is helping to train other villagers in reforestation. “When we plant, our crops do well. In the other areas they dry out due to lack of moisture.”

Kundu says his land no longer suffers from soil erosion, unlike the land on neighbouring slopes.

“I have set aside the hill in my farm to plant trees and other natural species. I cultivate on the valleys and, with good agricultural practices, I have enough food for the family,” said Kundu.

The trees also act as windbreakers, protecting crops like bananas and maize, which are vulnerable to high winds blowing off the hills.

Coffee, which used to grow in the area, is also being reintroduced and helping fight soil erosion, said Peter Masika, a district forest officer.

ECONOMICAL STOVES

Agatha Nambuya, 48, of Kitsi village, has benefited from the new tree cover. The large hill behind her home is now densely packed with trees that help reduce water runoff and stop soil erosion.

But Nambuya is also making her own contribution to efforts to stop deforestation and reduce global warming. By using an energy saving stove, she has drastically cut the amount of wood she needs to burn to cook for her family.

Her stove stands about one foot high off the ground and looks like a gas cooker made of clay. On the lower side, there is an opening where firewood is placed and on top there are four different sized burners.

“I use one piece of firewood and I can cook four meals at a time. For example, I can be cooking potatoes, while the second burner is cooking sauce and the third one is cooking tea. The fourth burner can be used to boil water for drinking or bathing,” she said.

With a family of 20 people, Nambuya said she used to cut down three trees to provide firewood for one month. But since she started using the energy saving stove three years ago, she only needs one tree.

“Now it only takes an hour to do all the cooking. I need just one piece of wood,” she added.

POWER-FREE REFRIGERATION

Farmers in Kitsi have also found a way to keep their vegetables fresh before they take them to market that does not require electricity and therefore saves on greenhouse gas emissions.

They are using a refrigerator they call ‘pot in pot’. This comprises of a small pot moulded inside a larger pot, with the space in between filled with wet sand.

“I put my tomatoes in the inner pot, and I put a piece of cloth in the space with the sand. Then I soak the cloth with water. The water keeps the tomatoes fresh and cold just like inside a fridge,” said Juliet Wanyenze, 36, a mother of two who grows and sells vegetables.

Wanyenze monitors the cloth to make sure it does not dry out. When it is dry, she adds more water to keep the pot cool.

Many refrigerators in use in Uganda are old and have been imported. Some use diesel or kerosene, but the majority use electricity. All these energy sources emit greenhouse gases that contribute to global warming.

SAVING WATER

Other local residents have found ways to capture water that can be used for irrigation in dry periods.

Patrick Wanzutsi, a farmer in his 70s, has built a mound of stones, grass and soil in front of his house that acts as a barrier to stop soil being washed away when it rains. On the other side of the mound is a trench designed to catch surplus water, which is then directed down a channel into a pit on Wanzutsi’s farm.

In front of the farm’s houses, Wanzutsi has a vegetable plot where he grows kale, tomatoes and onions, using water captured from runoff from houses’ roofs. The water soaks the soil and it remains moist for long periods, even in dry seasons.

“The water that runs off the houses in this area is too much and it can destroy crops if it’s left to run down the farm,” he said.

By catching and channelling the water, Wanzutsi can protect his crops and save money by avoiding buying water for irrigation.

Pius Sawa is a freelance science journalist based in Nairobi, Kenya.

 

 

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