Assessment of community resilience to climate change shocks in low-income neighborhoods of Masaka city, Uganda
Assessment of community resilience to climate change shocks in low-income neighborhoods of Masaka city, Uganda
| dc.contributor.author | Nabiroko, Martha | |
| dc.date.accessioned | 2025-12-04T10:44:10Z | |
| dc.date.available | 2025-12-04T10:44:10Z | |
| dc.date.issued | 2025 | |
| dc.description | Thesis Submitted to the Directorate of Research and Graduate Training in Partial Fulfilment of the Requirements for the Award of Degree of Masters in Geographical Sciences of Makerere University. | |
| dc.description.abstract | Cities worldwide face crises from climate change, compounded by socio-economic disparities, especially affecting low-income neighborhoods. This study evaluates community resilience to climate shocks in Masaka's low-income neighborhoods to guide responses and boost urban resilience in Uganda. Quantitative data were collected through surveys (n=160), and analyzed with chi-square test, PCA, and multiple regression. Qualitative data were collected through Key informant interviews (n=14), and focus groups (n=12) analyzed thematically to support the quantitative findings. Chi-square results for the association between low-income neighborhoods and climate shocks indicated that floods (0.017), storms (0.04) and drought (p=0.029) were the rampant climate shocks impacting houses, food security and clean water access. Key community resources contributing to the resilience based on their loadings included housing (0.687), sanitation (0.610), and public health (0.552). Resilience varied across all the low-income neighborhoods given the difference in social economic characteristics of residents. The multiple linear regression analysis indicated that Education level, possession of productive assets, and monthly income influenced resilience in the low-income neighborhoods of Masaka City. Low-income neighborhoods in Masaka show varying resilience to climate impacts, with disparities in infrastructure, education, and resource access affecting adaptive capacity. To improve resilience, the study recommends investing in climate-resilient infrastructure, improving education and climate awareness programs, promoting financial inclusion, and community initiatives, along with targeted research and policies to support vulnerable groups. | |
| dc.description.sponsorship | Bovekert project | |
| dc.identifier.citation | Nabiroko, M. (2025). Assessment of community resilience to climate change shocks in low-income neighborhoods of Masaka city, Uganda [unpublished masters thesis]. Makerere University, Kampala. | |
| dc.identifier.uri | https://makir.mak.ac.ug/handle/10570/15483 | |
| dc.language.iso | en | |
| dc.publisher | Makerere University | |
| dc.title | Assessment of community resilience to climate change shocks in low-income neighborhoods of Masaka city, Uganda | |
| dc.type | Thesis |
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- Cities worldwide are increasingly challenged by complex patterns of crises arising from climate change, further compounded by economic development deficits and social polarization (Spaans & Waterhout, 2017). Climate change shocks such as drought, floods, heat waves, sea level rise, and storms have increased in frequency, severity, and intensity, disrupting livelihoods, damaging infrastructures and threatening the livability of cities (IPCC, 2014, 2022). These climate change shocks are sudden climate-induced disturbances that impact human and ecological systems, causing loss of life and economic hardships (Satterthwaite et al., 2020). In most developing cities of SSA, climate shocks interact with existing urban challenges such as poverty, poor housing, inadequate infrastructure, making communities more susceptible, especially the low-income neighbourhoods with less ability to recover (Buyana et al., 2020). Therefore, resilience has become a central concept in understanding how cities and communities can prepare for, absorb, and adapt to climate shocks (Aleksandrova, 2020; Mujeri & Mujeri, 2020). The concept of resilience in the context of climate change depicts the capacity of individuals, households, and institutions to withstand and recover from climate shocks (Matyas & Pelling, 2015; Mehryar et al., 2022; Wardekker, 2021). Resilience is not only about bouncing back after a shock but also about building adaptive systems necessary to anticipate and manage future climate shocks (Fitzgibbons & Mitchell, 2019). It is therefore dynamic and involves learning, adaptation and transformation of systems to cope with uncertainties and new risks (Mbaziira et al., 2023). In urban settings, resilience entails the continued functioning of community resources and services (housing, water, sanitation, infrastructure, and health) during and after climate change shocks (Oriangi, 2019). However, rapid uncontrolled urbanisation, limited financial resources and weak governance often leave cities with fragile systems, placing the low-income neighbourhoods more at risk (Mehryar et al., 2022; Wardekker, 2021). The relationship between low-income neighborhood conditions and climate change shocks is evident across sub-Saharan Africa, where over 56% of urban residents live in informal settlements (UN-Habitat, 2020).
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