Spotlight: The Batwa of Uganda

In Uganda, over 80% of the population is dependent upon rain-fed agriculture, so will be hit hard by changes in climate, particularly precipitation. Yet, it is economically underdeveloped with a severe strain on healthcare resources. However, again, this vulnerability is not evenly distributed. The Batwa are an Indigenous people located in the southwest highlands of Uganda, and are a group particularly sensitive to climate change as a result of their marginal social status and livelihoods reliant on natural resources.

Conservation Refugees

There are around 6700 Batwa across three districts in southwest Uganda. During the 1990s, the Batwa were forcibly evicted from the forest to make way for conservation projects, including the Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. The mountain gorillas of Bwindi once shared the forst with the Batwa, who had lived there for more than 4000 years.

Image from United Organisation for Batwa Development in Uganda

The Batwa have never hunted the apes, but as the gorillas are so closely related to humans, the existence of Batwa in the forests could increase the risk of infections being passed from humans to the animals. The Batwa were therefore evicted from their ancestral home in 1991, when the National Park was announced, with no land rights or compensation. The dislocation resulted in the removal of access to traditional foods, shelter and medicinal resources, and rendered the Batwa low in health and socioeconomic status when compare to the rest of the population.

Climate Change in Uganda

It is difficult to predict how climate change will materialize in Uganda due to a lack of scientific monitoring. Uganda's current climate is equatorial, with humid and hot condition throughout the years, and two rain seasons. However, it is likely that Uganda will face unpredictable rainfall and warmer temperatures, and increased extreme weather events including droughts, floods and heat waves. The frequency of droughts has already increased, with seven droughts in Uganda between 1991 and 2000, and increases in floods has led to outbreaks of waterborne diseases. Agricultural yields will be reduced as a result of climate change, as well as increased water stress, with potentially severe impacts on coffee- Uganda's most lucrative export crop.

Effect of temperature increase on Uganda's coffee crops

In the Kanungu District, Patterson et al. found that 97% of Indigenous households are severely food insecure. The Batwa are already vulnerable to seasonal variation, and this variation will only increase as the environment changes.

However, over the last few decades, the Batwa have improved significantly in wellbeing and have an extensive history of resilience. I found it interesting to read that the Batwa consider climate change to be a minor threat- perhaps because the economic and social determinants of wellbeing are more pressing at the moment. Additionally, households with secure land tenure are more optimistic about the state of their future. I have spoken about the benefits of Indigenous land rights before in regards to climate change mitigation, but land tenure security also has a significant impact on Indigenous health. Child mortality (under five years of age) was 41% lower in Batwa households with land compare to those with land, demonstrating that land ownership needs to be integral to future interventions.