Climate Change Impacts to communities in Mbale and the Community Response
Landslides, intensified by climate change-driven heavy, erratic rainfall and deforestation on Mbale District's steep slopes around Mount Elgon, pose a severe threat, with over 10 events annually causing fatalities, home destruction, and crop losses. Communities face acute risks to livelihoods: banana and coffee farms—key for 70% of households—suffer soil erosion and siltation, slashing yields by 30-50% and spiking food prices; infrastructure like Mbale-Sironko road collapses repeatedly, isolating markets and schools; health burdens rise from injuries, water contamination, and displacement of 5,000+ residents per major slide, straining limited district resources amid poverty rates over 25%.
UNDP's TACC Mbale project delivered CRVA maps and policy briefs for resilient planning, training 200+ farmers in agroforestry and terracing; government via NECOC and NEMA enforced hazard zoning, built check dams, and ran early warning SMS systems reaching 50,000 users; community efforts include CBO-led reforestation (planting 100,000 trees yearly) and individual shifts to drought-resistant maize varieties and hillside drainage.