NaFIRRI - Climate Change Project

The livelihoods of fishers are fishing, fish processing and trade but are now limited due to
decline in the quantity and variety of fish associated with changes in climate and other stressors
Satellite images from UNEP show that Lake Wamala shrunk to about one half its area between 1984 and 1995
and increased between 1995 and 2008 but has not fully recovered with water gauges still on land by 2013
Climate variability and change is causing floods and drought, affecting circulations of oxygen and
nutrients in water, productivity processes, fish, crop and livestock production and livelihoods
Plant and animal food of fishes is dominated by types that survive under low oxygen and
unpredictable nutrient conditions
The composition of fishes has shifted from dominance of tilapias to the African catfish and lungfish
which are tolerant to low oxygen conditions and can adjust to the changed food conditions
Cultivation to the edge of the water, extensive harvesting of papyrus, and spraying of pesticides
exposes the water to siltation and contamination and should be managed in accordance with existing laws
Communities have adapted to the changes in fisheries by exploiting emerging fishes
like the African catfish and the lungfish, growing crops and grazing livestock in the lakeside areas
Communities have adapted to drought by practicing irrigation and this is being
promoted by introducing more effective and affordable systems like manual irrigation pumps
More innovative communities around Lake Wamala have increased their income beyond fishing
by diversifying to high values crops like pineapples, tomatoes, oranges and other horticultural crops
Mr Swabi, although still fishing has diversified to crop farming, chicken and zero grazing cattle
and practices drip irrigation during drought and has even been able to acquire a motorcycle
Mr Lule has hang up his nets and diversified to pineapples and livestock and
has been able to purchase a pick-up van for marketing his crops
Some communities around Lake Kawi have diversified to high value crops, keeping a variety of livestock
and collect water from roof tops for watering crops but to a lesser extent than Wamala
The impacts of climate variability and change and contamination of the water can be reduced
by planting appropriate trees in lakeside zones and preserving the papyrus fringes
The communities are being sensitized on these impacts and adaptation strategies to increase their resilience
to impacts of climate variability and change and sustain their livelihoods

Key Project Personel:

Name and address

Profile

Role

Dr Richard Ogutu-Ohwayo
Senior Research Officer,
National Fisheries Resources Research Institute (NaFIRRI),
P. O. Box 343, Jinja, Uganda.
Mob. +256772421094:
Email: ogutuohwayo@yahoo.com

He is a senior scientist at NaFIRRI and an honorary lecturer at Makerere University. He has over 30 years of research and administrative experience in fisheries and aquatic ecosystem research. He has initiated, supervised and coordinated at least ten donor projects, published over 50 papers in refereed journals, supervised at least ten graduate students, and undertaken over 25 consultancies.

Project Leader;
Relating changes in composition, distribution and life history characteristics of fishes to climate variability and change and working with ATPs on policy issues, Pamoja on communication strategy & Makerere on capacity building

Dr William Okello
Research Officer, NaFIRRI,
P. O. Box 343, Jinja, Uganda.
Mob. +256782 835956,
Email:
wiokello@yahoo.com

Research Officer at NaFIRRI and a part time lecturer at Makerere University. He holds a PhD in natural sciences. He has 14 years of research experience in water quality and lake productivity processes. He has published at least five papers in international journals and has undertaken a number of consultancies.

Relating physico-chemical parameters and lake productivity processes to climate variability and change and working with DWRM on climate parameters, Makerere on capacity building, & project technical secretary

Dr Konstantine Odongkara,
Principal Research Officer, NaFIRRI, P. O. Box 343, Jinja, Uganda. Mob. +256772608085
Email: konskara@netscape.net

He holds a PhD in fisheries socio-economics and has over 30 years of research and consultancy experience and has published widely in fisheries socio-economics in Eastern Africa.

Assessing socio-economic impacts, and developing adaptation and coping strategies. He will be the co-project Leader, financial controller & working with ATPs on policy issues & Makerere on capacity building

Dr Everline Komutunga
Senior scientist and coordinator of the Rockefeller funded project at NARL.
She is in charge of coordinating climate change between different production systems within NARO.

National Agricultural Research Laboratories, (NARL) - Kawanda,
P. O. Box 7065. Kampala, Uganda

Consolidate fisheries into the NARO-wide climate change program and promote cross learning between climate change projects in NARO

Mr. Wilson Fred Kyosingira is an Assistant Commissioner, Water Resources, and a Hydrologist in the Directorate of Water Resources Management

Directorate of Water Resources Management, Ministry of Water and Environment. P.O. Box 19. Entebbe - Uganda.

Provide hydrological information including water level and rainfall data. He will work with Dr Okello in creating hydrological database.

Dr Jackson Efitre, Lecturer in fisheries
He is responsible for review of fisheries training curriculum in the Department of Zoology

Department of Zoology,
School of Biological Sciences, College of Natural Sciences, Makerere University, P. O. Box 7062, Kampala, Uganda,

Incorporate climate change in fisheries training curriculum, prepare of a training manual and will work with all NaFIRRI project personnel on fisheries information and database development and preparation of training manual.

Dr Kevin Urama, Executive Director
He is an environmental and ecological economist with extensive experience in developing trans-disciplinary tools for sustainable management of socio-economic and ecological systems.

African Technology Policy Studies (ATPS) Network, 3rd Floor, The Chancery, Valley Rd., P.O Box 10081 00100, Nairobi, Kenya

Translate fisheries climate research outputs into policy, legislative, and governance frameworks. He will work with Drs Ogutu-Ohwayo and Odongkara in development of the policy and legal framework.

Mr Joshua Wanyama, Executive Director, He has considerable experience in online marketing solutions and is currently funded by Rockefeller Foundation to build climate resilience in African Agricultural systems.

Pamoja Media East African Limited, #4 Kindaruma Road near St. Nicholas Primary School,
P.O. Box 68151-00200, Nairobi, Kenya

Development of the information, communication and outreach strategy and action plan. Assist NaFIRRI IT team in developing the web-based information system. Post Project outputs on CENA website.