School of Forestry, Environmental and Geographical Sciences (SFEGS) Collections
Permanent URI for this collection
Browse
Recent Submissions
1 - 5 of 589
-
ItemCommunities perception on the contribution of and challenges faced in the UWA’s benefit sharing scheme around Mt. Elgon National Park(Makerere University, 2025)Benefit-sharing schemes (BSS) are increasingly being implemented as mechanisms to enhance community livelihoods while promoting conservation of protected areas. This study examined the implementation of BSS around Mount Elgon National Park, focusing on local communities’ perception of the scheme’s contributions to household income, and challenges faced in the implementation of the scheme in Bududa and Bukwo districts. A mixed-methods approach was employed, combining quantitative household surveys and qualitative interviews to collect data on the respondents’ demographic and socio-economic characteristics, participation in BSS activities, income generation, and perceptions of scheme’s administration. The results revealed that men dominated participation in BSS activities in Bududa and Bukwo) with the 31-41 years age group being the most active (34.2% in Bududa, 35.2% in Bukwo). Most households engaged in subsistence agriculture, with livestock and crop farming significantly influencing awareness of the scheme (p < 0.001), indicating that households reliant on natural resources were more attentive to benefit sharing opportunities. Household sizes ranged between four and seven members, and educational attainment varied, with primary education being predominant in Bududa and secondary education being more common in Bukwo. Local communities’ perceptions of the BSS varied. While many respondents acknowledged the scheme’s positive contribution to income and conservation awareness, concerns were raised about equitable benefit distribution, transparency, and accountability. Income generated from BSS activities varied between forest-based and non-forest-based interventions. Forest-based activities, such as fuelwood collection, contributed more significantly to household income in Bududa, whereas non-forest-based activities, particularly tree planting, provided higher incomes in Bukwo. Apiary activities also contributed positively, although to a lesser extent. Regression analyses indicated that the district of residence, gender, age, education level, household size, and occupation significantly influenced income variations across different BSS activities. Males consistently earned more than females, younger households outperformed older age groups, and households engaged in subsistence farming generally earned more from resource-based activities than those in formal employment or businesses. Key challenges in implementing the scheme include limited funding, inadequate community engagement, language barrier and conflicts of interest. The findings show the importance of enhancing participatory governance, ensuring transparent benefit distribution, and fostering collaborative leadership to maximize both socioeconomic and conservation outcomes. This study provides critical insights for policymakers, conservation managers, and local communities seeking to refine benefit-sharing approaches and promote sustainable natural resource management in protected areas.
-
ItemCharacterisation of selected Hass avocado (persea americana mill. Var. Hass) genotypes for future creation of an elite, true-to-type germplasm collection(Makerere University, 2025)This study focused on characterising of Hass avocado (Persea americana. Mill.Var Hass) at National Forestry Resources Research Institute (NAFORRI) mother garden in Uganda addressing the limited genetic diversity that restricts avocado production in the region. The study aimed at developing an elite true-to –type germpalsm collection. The study utilised DArT-Seq, a highthroughput DNA sequencing technology used to identify genetic variations across genomes by identifying Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms (SNP) to examine genetic variation within the Hass Avocado trees at NAFORRI. The aim was to support future development of a genetically diverse, robust Hass avocado population in Uganda by understanding and preserving essential genetic traits. BLASTn analysis was used to trace genetic relationships, comparing sequences from 288 accessions from the mother garden to the reference genome (GCA_002908915.1) of the Hass cultivar, provided by Hainan University, China. Detailed morphological assessments of each Hass avocado tree, examining traits like fruit dimensions (average length and width), growth characteristics (number of branches, crown width and tree height), and productivity (number of fruits per tree) was done. Observed phenotypic variations were attributed to the diverse microclimatic, soil, and management conditions within the NAFORRI mother garden. ANOVA (Analysis of Variance) showed no significant morphological differences between the trees. This indicated that the observed phenotypic similarities suggest a common ancestral origin for the Hass avocado trees. The genetic diversity analysis for the Hass avocado tree samples that could be sequenced, found low levels of observed and expected heterozygosity (Ho = 0.0014, He = 0.0016, and Ht = 0.0016) and a positive inbreeding coefficient (FIS = 0.1342) suggested that the Hass trees were genetically homogeneous. The results from the BLASTn analysis showed a high level of genetic similarity, with 45 accessions displaying 100% match, and were classified as “Exact Matches”. 116 accessions that showed 95-99% identity were classified as “True-to-Type” for Hass avocado. The 51 accessions that demonstrated 85-95% identity were classified as “Related”. Lastly 58 accessions that had less than 70% identity were categorized as “Divergent” indicating divergence from the Hass reference genome. These four categories (Exact matches, True-to-type, Related and Divergent) highlighted varying levels of homogeneity within the mother garden, revealing that while the collection retained high fidelity to the Hass cultivar, it may lack the genetic diversity required for long-term breeding goals. Findings suggest that the current population may not provide the genetic base necessary for sustainable Hass avocado breeding in Uganda. Future research should focus on identifying trees with key traits such as diseases resistance, early maturity and superior fruit quality to serve as parent material for breeding programs for lines that are not only true-to-type but also better suited to Uganda’s unique environmental conditions. By addressing these genetic limitations, the study supports future efforts to develop a resilient and productive Hass avocado industry in Uganda.
-
ItemImplications of floods on women’s access to sexual and reproductive health services in Kasese district, Uganda(Makerere University, 2025)Floods, as one of the most frequent and severe consequences of climate change, have increasingly become a challenge, especially in developing countries. In Uganda, Kasese District has been experiencing recurrent riverine and flash floods, which have significantly disrupted access to health care including sexual and reproductive health services, particularly for the women. During and after floods access to Sexual and Reproductive Health (SRH) services becomes highly compromised. This study examines the implications of floods on women's access to SRH services in Kasese District, Uganda, shedding light on the challenges faced by women during floods. Specifically, the research explores three main objectives: the impacts of floods on women’s access to SRH services, the factors that affect women’s access to sexual and reproductive health services during and after floods and the adaptation strategies that women employ to cope with and adapt to the negative impacts of floods on their access to SRH services. A mixed-method approach, combining household surveys, key informant interviews, and focus group discussions following exploratory, descriptive and interpretive research designs was employed to gather data from 201 households targeting women aged 15-49 years in the three divisions of Kasese Municipality. Qualitative data was analyzed through thematic analysis while quantitative data was analyzed through various statistical methods including descriptive statistics, logistic regression and chi-square test. The findings reveal that 98% of the respondents were affected with access to SRH services due to floods. The most affected SRH services were maternal and child health services reported by 68% of respondents and family planning services reported by 64% of respondents. Floods severely disrupt women’s access to SRH services through destruction of health facility infrastructures reported by 77.6% of respondents; compromised privacy, dignity and security reported by 58% of respondents; and interrupted access to SRH service delivery outreaches reported by 71% of respondents. Economic and socio-cultural factors including financial difficulties reported by 69.6% and levels of education reported by 35% of respondents also affected women’s access to SRH services. The adaptation measures adopted by women to cope with and adapt to effects of floods on access to SRH services were found to be dependent on specific communities. The study recommends that, the government, partners and private health care providers should conduct a risk assessment of all health facilities to permanently relocate all those found to be at risk of being affected by climate disasters such as floods to safer location. In addition, the government should procure and deploy mobile health clinics equipped to provide comprehensive SRH services, including contraception, prenatal care, and Sexually Transmitted Infections (STI) treatment in a safe, private and confidential manner particularly in areas severely affected by floods. The study contributes valuable knowledge relevant in implementing the Climate Change Act 2021, Health National Adaptation Plan, Kasese District Climate Change Action Plan, all of which contributes to Uganda's climate resilience efforts in line with the attainment of National Development Plan (NDP) III and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) related to Health, Gender Equality, and Climate Action.
-
ItemTrends and drivers of historical and projected intra-seasonal rainfall characteristics of the MAM season in the cattle corridor of Uganda(Makerere University, 2024)Uganda’s cattle corridor is largely characterized with semi-arid conditions exhibiting high rainfall variability, periodic late onset, and early cessation. The main objective of this study was to examine the trends and drivers of historical and projected intra-seasonal rainfall characteristics of the MAM season in the selected districts within the cattle corridor. The study used rainfall data based on (CHIRPS), (MERRA-2), and (CORDEX) data sets. This study used Climate Data Tool (CDT) to compute the onset, cessation of rainfall and duration of rain season, used the Man-Kendall test and Sen Slope estimator for trend detection and coefficient of variation to examine intra-seasonal variability. Standardized Anomaly Index was used to investigate the frequency of dry events within the MAM rainfall years. Two sampled student’s t-tests were used to assess the relationship between the drivers and MAM seasonal rainfall and applied a single student’s t-test to test the hypothesis. Study results indicated that historical MAM rainfall season (1991-2020) was less variable (i.e., average CV = 15.3%) and depicted insignificant (p-value >0.05) negative trends (-0.526, -1.375, - 0.010 and -0.840) in onset and cessation (-0.413, -1.043, -1.563, and -0.597) across all study districts, an indication that the rains were coming early and ceasing early in the historical period though not significant. In the future, the MAM seasonal rainfall is expected to be more variable under RCP8.5 (i.e., average CV = 28.0%) than under RCP4.5 (i.e., average CV = 18.7%) and, under these two scenarios, the trends of both onset and cessation dates are expected to be somewhat insignificantly (p-value>0.05) negative, an indication that across the study districts, the rains are expected to come early and cease early. For the drivers of MAM seasonal rainfall, the Nino index, an index of El Niño evolution, showed a statistically significant positive (i.e., t-value = 2.123, pvalue = 0.038) relationship with MAM rainfall and was thus regarded to have a greater influence on MAM seasonal rainfall over the selected districts within the Ugandan cattle corridor. Results from one sample t-test indicated that during the historical period (1991-2020) did change significantly and it is expected to change significantly in the future (2021-2050) under both RCP4.5 and RCP8.5 scenarios. Based on the findings, it is thus imperative to strengthen early warning systems as well as the development of sustainable rangeland, agriculture/agropastoral systems, water resources, and other rainfall-dependent activities within the Uganda’s Cattle Corridor for sustainable livelihoods and development.
-
ItemProspects of reducing vulnerability of communities in post disaster resettlement : a case of Bunambutye Camp, Eastern Uganda(Makerere University, 2025)This study investigated physical and socio-economic vulnerability of communities in post-disaster resettlement with an overall aim of developing prospective interventions for reducing vulnerability through skills development and use hence enhancing livelihoods in post-disaster resettlement. The specific objectives were i) To examine the traits of physical and socio-economic vulnerability of communities in post-disaster resettlement in Bunambutye camp, Eastern Uganda ii) To establish the determinants of seasonal movements as a coping strategy currently being employed by the survivors to reduce vulnerability iii) To determine relevant livelihood skills needed to reduce the vulnerability of communities in post-disaster resettlement in Bunambutye camp, Eastern Uganda. The study used a participatory research methodology, giving participants authority over the agenda and research procedure. It was hypothesized that seasonal movements of survivors from the resettlement were a function of physical rather than socio-economic vulnerability. With a descriptive and interpretive research design, 140 respondents participated in the household survey conducted in December 2022 using the individual Appraisal tool that had both open and closed-ended questions that enabled the study to gather primary data about objective i), ii), iii), and the research hypothesis. Twenty (20) participants participated in mini-Delphi iterative meetings using the Delphi Analysis skills grid tool to determine the relevant livelihood skills needed to reduce vulnerability. This was complemented with key informant interviews, focus group discussions and field walk observations to elicit the necessary data. Utilizing SPSS version 20, univariate graphical and non-graphical exploratory data analysis coupled with content analysis suggest that households are faced with physical and socio-economic vulnerability. The households engage in seasonal movements as a livelihood coping strategy. Dry spells which impacts other livelihoods significantly contributed to the households’ desire to move from the resettlement. Survivors possessed limited livelihood skills thus exposed to socio-economic and livelihood vulnerability. The study recommends implementing vocational training programs and microfinance initiatives to diversify income sources and create employment opportunities. Additionally, constructing more housing units to reduce overcrowding and developing sustainable water management systems such as low-cost irrigation schemes, organic farming techniques and agroforestry will ensure food security, income earnings and long-term sustainability of the resettlement.