Africa-Press – Uganda. Uganda risk losing between $3.2b and $5.9b within a decade over failure to put in place measures that mitigate effects of climate change, according to Uganda National Council for Science and Technology.
Speaking at the launch of the Climate Technology Needs Assessment report in Kampala early this week, Dr Martin Ongol, the Uganda National Council for Science and Technology executive secretary, said the impact of climate change, especially in agriculture, water, infrastructure and energy, will collectively amount to between 2 percent and 4 percent of gross domestic product between 2010 and 2050.
At a nation-level, he said, studies have shown that if no adaptive action is taken, annual cost of climate change could be in the range of between $3.2b and $5.9b in a decade, with the biggest impact being on water, energy, agriculture, and infrastructure.
However, Dr Ongol added that over the 40 years from 2010 to 2050, the costs of inaction is estimated at between $273b and $437b, saying that: “Even if there were no further increases in climate impact, the cost of inaction would rise over time because of an increase in population.”
“Uganda therefore has no option but to respond to the challenges posed by climate change through adaptation and mitigation options to build resilience. Climate change is a global challenge for which local solutions are necessary, and thus the importance of taking into consideration regional and national contexts,” he said.
Uganda continues to experience climatic change, which is a threat to the economy and human lives.
However, technologies that government uses to help people reduce greenhouse emissions, including renewable energies such as wind energy, solar power and hydropower, do not sufficiently reach the intended targets.
During the same meeting, Mr Alfred Okot Okidi, the Water and Environment Ministry permanent secretary, said there are many technologies that have been developed to mitigate climat change in agriculture, water and forestry but much of it does not reach Ugandans.
“Out of every $10 of the total amount that we receive to address climate change, less than $3 reach the ground for the intended purpose,” he said.
Mitigation
In 2018, Uganda received financial support from the Global Environment Facility of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change to undertake a Technology Needs Assessment in order to identify technologies that can be leveraged for climate change adaptation and mitigation.
For More News And Analysis About Uganda Follow Africa-Press
