• 1 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
  • 2 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
  • 3 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
  • 4 Plant and animal food of fishes is dominated by types that survive under low oxygen and
    unpredictable nutrient conditions
  • 5 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
  • 1 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
  • 2 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
  • 3 Communities have adapted to drought by practicing irrigation and this is being
    promoted by introducing more effective and affordable systems like manual irrigation pumps
  • 4 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
  • 5 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
  • 1 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
  • 2 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
  • 3 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
  • 4 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
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  Students of Climate Change Project

Name of Student & Institution

Affiliation

Areas of study

Natugonza Vianny

Department of Biological Sciences,
Makerere University,

MSc. Student

Relationship between climate parameters and fishery, population and biological characteristics of the Nile Tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus Linne) in Lake Wamala

Olokotum Mark,

Department of Biological Sciences,
Makerere University.

MSc. Student

Population and biological characteristics of the African catfish (Clarias gariepinus Peters) in relation to climate parameters in Lake Wamala

Ssenyonjo Elijah,

Department of Biological Sciences,
Makerere University

MSc. Student

AThe characteristics of the fishery of Lake Wamala and its management

Namboowa Sharon,

Department of Biological Sciences, 
Makerere University

MSc. Student

Occurrence and effect of helminth parasites in the African catfish, Clarias gariepinus Peters from Lake Wamala

Musinguzi Laban,

Department of Biological Sciences,
Makerere University

MSc. Student

Vulnerability and adaptation of fisher communities to impacts of climate variability and change: A case study of Lake Wamala

Naigaga Shamim,

Department of Biological Sciences,
Makerere University

BSc. Student

Physico-chemical conditions, plankton productivity and food webs
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