Uganda is prone to natural disasters that climate change is making more frequent and impactful. Besides the direct damages to lives and livelihoods, the effects of disasters, such as floods and droughts, extend to the wider economy. As recognized by the Third National Development Plan, climate adaptation and preparedness are essential to ensure the resilience of the population and the economy to extreme weather events. Debt-Investment-Growth-Natural-Disasters (DIGNAD) model simulations underscore that building adaptation infrastructure can reduce by two thirds the GDP losses at the trough triggered by a disruptive disaster and almost halve the resulting fiscal gap. Given the financial challenges posed by scaling up adaptation, international support—and scaling up capacity to access donor funds—is required to meet ambitious adaptation plans.
PHOTOS: TOM NICHOLSON/REUTERS/NEWSCOM; COURTESY OF VANESSA NAKATE; ANTOVA
Abstract
Sub-Saharan Africa is facing an unprecedented health and economic crisis that threatens to throw the region off its stride, reversing the encouraging development progress of recent years. Furthermore, by exacting a heavy human toll, upending livelihoods, and damaging business and government balance sheets, the crisis threatens to retard the region’s growth prospects in the years to come. Previous crises tended to impact affect countries in the region differentially, but no country will be spared this time.
Abstract
To come when report is received.