Dealing with waste water - it's not glamourous but there are opportunities. From storing water for use in irrigation to treating it for re-use. Featuring Julius Musiimenta, who's been a sanitation and hydraulics consultant for many years. A graduate of Makerere University and IHE Delft Institute for Water Education, he is currently working on a range of solutions dealing with water management in a climate change context.

'The bridge that was designed for 1960 can not be the same bridge for today.' Sanitary engineer and water management specialist Julius Musiimenta talks to Josephine about all aspects of what happens to water when it arrives in large amounts at unpredictable times, how it impacts infrastructure and how it can be best dealt with in an uncertain future.

Julius Musiimenta has been a sanitation and hydraulics consultant for many years. A graduate of Makerere University and IHE Delft Institute for Water Education, he is currently working on a range of solutions dealing with water management in a climate change context.

Following on from our main episode this week, Dr Max Kigobe of Makerere University talks about researching historical rainfall patterns, modeling future rainfall events, and why he first got interested in understanding Uganda's climate.

Drains, culverts, pipes and ditches: facilities you probably never think about. But vital to ensuring that Uganda is able to cope with the increased number and intensity of rainfall events brought on by climate change.

What it comes down to is this: there's an urgent, ongoing need for integrated planning at all levels if Uganda is to successfully adapt to the challenges of climate change. So says our guest, Dr Max Kigobe of Makerere University. He's en engineer by training and has worked on major infrastructure projects, so he brings an engineer's insights alongside experience in analysing historical patterns of rainfall in the country. Dr Kigobe has extensive experience in water resource and climate change modelling, and is currently a Senior Lecturer in Water Resources, Hydrology and Climate Change at Makerere University.

This is the first of two linked episodes in which we're asking engineers for their insights into infrastructure design and climate change.

You can find some of Dr Max Kigobe's research papers here:

https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Max-Kigobe

And you can get in touch with us here: [email protected]

Deep stuff in this conversation. As a prelude to the next few episodes that'll explore climate change, infrastructure and transportation, we touch on the background to climate change in Uganda; agriculture, engineering and bridges; organisational thinking, the politics of climate change and economic justice.

Professor Revocatus Twinomuhangi is Associate Professor and Dean of the School of Forestry, Environmental and Geographical Sciences at Makerere University. Nick Pyatt is a Director of Climate Sense, and works with governments, agencies, infrastructure operators, construction, manufacturing, trade and financial services companies to strengthen their climate adaptation decision making processes.

You can find several of Professor Revocatus Twinomuhangi's research papers here, including 'Contextualising environmental and climate change migration in Uganda' and the fascinating 'Heat Risk Perception and Communication Strategies for Adaptation within Low-Income Communities in Kampala City, Uganda.'

Nick Pyatt is a director of Climate Sense - you can find out more information here:

Teddy Aine is a student based in Kampala, Joel Cherop is a farmer and entrepreneur from the Sebei ranges of Mt Elgon, and Taban Malis George is a student at Victoria University with a background in aviation management. Toegther with William Ssekiranda of the production team they offer their reflections on our first few episodes, and how their thinking around climate change is evolving.

We'll be making a habit of this kind of thing - hearing from listeners about the podcast. If you'd like to take part, drop us a line. [email protected] is the address.

And you can send us your video and audio clips about how climate change is affecting your community, and we may feature them in future episodes.

Special thanks to our guests this week: Teddy Aine, Joel Cherop and Taban Malis George.

Too much water. Too Little water. Water in all the wrong places, at the wrong times. That pretty much sums up global rainfall in the age of climate change. This week we explore the particular challenges we face in Uganda in adapting to unpredictable and extreme rainfall events. Joining us is Makerere University PhD candidate Judith Kobusinge, who shares her knowledge of the water cycle, how it's disrupted by a rapidly changing climate, and how various types of irrigation can help to alleviate disruptions caused by water scarcity.

If you want to know more about how crop yields may be affected by climate change, you can find the Hannah Ritchie article that we refer to below. It's fascinating.

Hannah Ritchie (2024) - “How will climate change affect crop yields in the future?” Published online at OurWorldinData.org. Retrieved from: 'https://ourworldindata.org/will-climate-change-affect-crop-yields-future' [Online Resource]

Agriculture + Forestry = Agroforestry.

Growing trees and agricultural crops together in a complementary relationship has been happening for thousands of years. In this episode we hear from two locations: Bukerekere Village in Central Uganda and Rhino Camp Refugee Settement in the Arua District, in the north west of the country. From these geographically distinct areas we hear first-hand how agroforestry works, and why it's one way communities can practice sustainable and profitable agriculture in a changing climate.

With agronomist Brian Namanya and Cathy Watson of World Agroforestry.

You can find out more about the work of World Agroforestry here:

Between 75% and 80% of women provide farm labor in Uganda, yet only around 25% of women own land in their own right. Josephine Karungi examines how this impacts the ability of women to adapt to climate change, and the knock on effects on family wellbeing. We hear from farmer Kyomuhendo Annet Katusiime in Buwanuka, on how a changing climate necessitates new approaches to farming; and from Carol Kayanja of the Uganda Community Based Association for Women and Children Welfare about the ways climate change affects women differently to men.

You can find UCOBAC (Uganda Community Based Association for Women and Children Welfare) here:

https://ucobac.org/

Want to drop us a line? [email protected] is the place to go.

Climate Talk is part of the Climate Smart Jobs Initiative - you can find out more about that here:

The compelling Agnes Kirabo of Uganda's Food RIghts Alliance joins us this week from the Africa Food Systems Forum in Kigali, with her take on the conversations happening there around climate change, hunger and nutrition. She shares a tip from her mother on the best time for planting, and her own perspectives on the challenges and opportunities that climate change is bringing to Uganda. Our in-depth chat was recorded in June of this year - the first of many, we hope, with one of the most dynamic and articulate voices in Uganda.

Agnes Kirabo is the Executive Director of the Food Rights Alliance, and has a long history of fighting for the eradication of hunger and malnutrition. You can find out more about the work of the Food RIghts Alliance here:

https://fra.ug/

And the Africa Food Systems Forum here:

https://agrf.org/

And as always, if you'd like to get in touch, drop us a line:

[email protected]