Explore every episode of the podcast Climate Talk Uganda With Josephine Karungi

Poultry farming - and egg production - offer opportunities for small holders to diversify their income. While many smallholder famers have traditionally had a few chickens for subsistence use, the Climate Smart Jobs project has been working to help farmers turn this into a viable business option. Evaline Simon is the Regional Manager for West Nile, and has been helping to implement the program. She joins us in this episode to discuss why this initiative was needed and how it has been working for farming communities.

Goat breeding might seem like an unusual topic for a climate change podcast. But building household economic resilience is a crucial part of enabling communities to survive the trials of a drastically changing and unpredictable climate. Goat breeding is one way to build that resilience.

Evaline Simon is a Regional Manager in the West Nile DIstrict for the Climate Smart Jobs project. As someone from a refugee background, she draws on her profound lived experience alongside deep professional knowledge to help communities in Northern Uganda develop new ways of earning income in a sustainable way. She coordinated the goat breeding program at Climate Smart Jobs and has been implementing it as part of the Climate Smart Jobs project.

Well worth a listen - Evaline is a profound and compelling talker.
Thanks for listening and see you next time,

Josephine

WIIGOT is an ecosystem that connects smallholder farmers with agribusinesses, services, and markets through trusted local Commercial Agents and Farmer Group Enterprises. Business Model Specialists Brian Ariho, Jannet Oroma and Jackline Labeja join us to explain what it is, how it works and why it matters. Wiigot takes it's name from an Acholi word meaning 'something on the top of a hill where you can have an overview of things...you can see clearly,' and was developed as part of the Climate Smart Jobs project.

Thanks for listening, and see you next time -

Josephine

Irrigation and water management technologies have the potential to help farmers transition from seasonal production to year-round cultivation. They also enable farmers to withstand the worst impacts of climate change and unpredictable - and more extreme - weather events. Beth Nanyama is a Market Systems Development Specialist who has been working with the Climate Smart Jobs project to increase access to these technologies for farmers, as well as increasing their access to markets and partnerships with private sector investors. She joins us to talk about how the work has been developed and what challenges and opportunities have been encountered.

Well-maintained machinery like tractors can be a lifeline for farmers preparing their land for cultivation. But sometimes maintaining and repairing this machinery can be time consuming and strewn with obstacles like the lack of spare parts. Fixing these challenges is a crucial part of helping farmers get their gardens planted in a timely way, before the end of the planting season. This in turn helps farmers become more resilient in the face of climate change.

Jacob Olweny, the Regional Manager for the Acholi Sub-Region with the Climate Smart Jobs project, joins us to talk about mechanised agricultural services and how important they are for farmers in Uganda in general, and Acholi in particluar.

The Climate Smart Jobs program has been working with communication partners developing new approaches to covering climate change in the media. As I mention in my introduction to this episode, from Day One the project recognised that climate change information is only useful if it is accessible, understandable and delivered in ways that help people make informed decisions. One of our most significant partners is the jounalism group InfolNile. Today we're joined by two of their leading journalists in Uganda to relfect on what we set out to achieve, what has been accomplished and what are the lessons learned from this partnership. Leonard Namukasa is the Programmes and Strategy Manager with InfoNile and Andrew Aijuka is the Productions Manager, as well as being a journalist engaged in regular climate change reporting. It's a fascinating discussion, and offers many insights into the challenges and opportunities of climate change journalism.

This is a fantastic episode about women, shea, self-reliance, entrepreneurial energy and talent. It’s the story of Blessed Organic Release shea products, founded by our guest, Margaret Laloyo. As she says on the company website:

‘In 2004 I took note of an ‘international investor’ who was buying Shea butter and Shea kernels from local collectors, mostly impoverished rural women in my home area in Acholi. I noted the ‘investor’ was not offering collectors fair trade terms. I took the initiative to learn more about Shea butter and recognized it to be a high quality product. I invested in getting knowledge about the Shea butter value chain, including taking atraining course with the America Shea Butter Institute. I used my new learning and knowledge to successfully bring an honest and charitable approach to the Shea butter market, delivering Premium Grade A Organic Nilotica Shea Products. While ensuring the strongest link in the Lalida Shea value chain, the collectors, are paid fair.’

Margaret talks us through her early days as an entrepreneurial nine-year-old who paid her own school fees by selling orange juice from her father’s trees sweetened with sugar cane at the local market; the foundation of Blessed Organic Release Nilotica Shea; ‘skilling and enabling our strategic partners, thousands of disadvantaged women and youth in Acholi, to earn a living’; climate resilience; and creating economic opportunities for women in local communities. Remarkably, she says, the shea tree, once it becomes productive, can continue to bear fruit for up to three hundred years. That’s a long time, even for a tree.

Our thanks to Margaret Laloyo for taking the time to share her knowledge and experience with us - you can find out more about Blessed Organic Release here: https://blessedorganic.org/what-we-do/

And thanks to you, our listeners. See you next time,

Josephine

Artificial meat. Shampoo. Cooking oil. Flour. All the good things that come from shea.

Raymond Kakuba is the National Co-ordinator of the Nilotica Shea Alliance, and has been working alongide the Climate Smart Jobs project. In this conversation he talks to us about shea products and the economic opportunities that shea cultivation represent for women in particular. (Nilotica, he says, is a premium version of all the shea varieties.) He talks about how historically women have always been intricately involved in shea production, how it empowers them economically, and the importance of maintaining the landscape where shea can grow successfully. Since shea only blooms once a year, work is underway to ensure than women have other ways of earning income at other times of the year including through harvesting honey, agroforestry and bean and soy production. At the same time, destruction of shea trees for charcoal production is a growing problem, as are population pressures, mining and agricultural expansion. Fascinating, complex stuff.

You can find out more about the Nilotica Shea Alliance here:
https://www.niloticashea.org/about.html

Thanks for listening, and see you next time -

Josephine

Christopher Atibo is a business model specialist with the Climate Smart Jobs project. But he's a farmer to his bones. As his mother used to say, 'Let's go to work - if you don't work, you don't eat.' In this inspiring episode he tells us how the practice of pfumvudza is helping transfrom the fortunes of women in refugee settlements - and communities in general - in Northen Uganda. We hear how new ways of farming enable women to gain greater economic freedom and greater opportunities to support their families.

You can find out more about the origins of Pfumvudze in one of earlier episodes:
https://climatetalkuganda.fireside.fm/45

Thanks for listeneing and see you next time.
Josephine

Joining us in this episode are two of the key people who have been implementing the Uganda Climate Innovation Fund, Brian Ndyaguma and Tobby Ojok. The Climate Smart Jobs project developed the Uganda Climate Innovation Fund to support entrepreneurs coming up with sustainable, economically viable ways of helping local people become more resilient to the challenges of climate change in Northern Uganda, including prolonged drought, unpredictable rains, and declining soil productivity. Brian Ndyaguma is the Team Lead and Tobby Ojok an Agribusiness Specialist. Together they offer valuable insights into how the fund was established, and the problems which it has been designed to address.

You can find out more about one of the Fund's programs - in Kitgum - here:
https://ugandaradionetwork.net/story/kitgum-farmers-to-benefit-from-ugx-7-3bn-climate-innovation-fund-

And you can find out more about the Climate Smart Jobs Project here:
https://www.csj.co.ug/

Thanks to our guests on this episode, Brian Ndyaguma and Tobby Ojok, and thank you for listening.
See you next time.

Josephine

Farmers in northern Uganda face many obstacles to success in the face of climate change. Shifting climatic patterns make planning extremely difficult, and access to markets and services is often inconsistent and beset with problems. The Climate Smart Jobs Project - the organisation behind this podcast - exists to design innovative ways of tackling these difficulties. Mathew Rupanga is the Team Leader of the Climate Smart Jobs Project, and he joins me in this episode to talk through the many ways the project is providing smallholder farmers with accessible, sustainable and long lasting solutions.

The approaches are based on a deeply thought-through, systematic approach to meeting the needs of smallholder farmers and other stakeholders. In particular, says Mathew, CSJ has designed WIIGOT, an innovative software platform designed to bridge the gap between smallholder farmers and commercial agents and to provide commercial clarity, transparency and certainty for all sides of the transaction. It's a complex and immersive conversation that is well worth worth your time.

More information about The Climate Smart Jobs Project and WIIGOT can be found here.

Thanks for listening, and see you next time.

Josephine.

A example of how the Climate Smart Jobs Program is having a positive impact, through the lens of Mme Milly Akello's experience in northern Uganda. Following on from our previous episode, ecosystems specialist Solomon Etany joins me in the studio to share the background to Mme Akello's story, and she tells us herself, with real passion and commitment, how the increasing cultivation of cocoa alongside traditional crops can enable farmers to make a better living.

We also talk to Moses Ayena for an overview of cocoa and coffee growing in the region, and the economic opportunities it represents.

The programs dicsussed in the episode are funded and run by the Climate Smart Jobs Initiative. If you'd like to find out more, go to https://www.csj.co.ug/

Special thanks to this week's guests Moses Ayena, Milly Akello and Solomon Etany. And thanks to you for listening - see you next time.

Josephine

'Adag-anii means that we don't want rumours, we want to work.'

Okullo Paul Peter is Managing Director of Adag-Anii Ltd, based in the the Lango sub-region of Uganda. In this chat he has a great story about how his company go its name - 'adag-anii.'

He talks to us about helping farmers adapt to growing cocoa as a cash generating, environmentally responsible alternative to maize. In partnership with the Climate Smart Jobs program, the idea is to help farmers access the market by helping them at all points in the process: preparation, cultivation, harvesting, processing and selling. And the aim is pretty simple when you boil it down - to ease the poverty that many people experience on a daily basis in these regions, partly as a result of climate change.

Cocoa has an interesting history in Uganda, as it turns out. It's been grown here since it was first introduced at the Entebbe Botanical Gardens in 1901. Initially, production was mainly limited to plantations, though - it was only adopted by smallholder producers in 1958. The crop is now grown by an estimated 120,000 smallholder farmers in at least 22 Districts, with more than two-thirds of the national harvest coming from Bundibugyo District; Hoima, Mukono and Kagadi are the other important producing districts.

In the bigger picture, cocoa is now one of the leading agricultural export commodities after coffee, with volumes more than doubling over the past decade. In 2024/25 some 75,545 tonnes, worth US $620 million, were exported to markets in both Asia and Europe. So this shift in priorities that Okullo Paul Peter is speaking about? For farmers, it makes a lot of sense.

Thanks so much to Okullo Paul Peter for taking time to speak with us. If you'd like more info about the Climate Smart Jobs Program, click on this link. Thanks for listening and see you next time,

Josephine

Batteries are a key technology for adapting to cimate change because they provide power on demand. Whether from solar, wind or wave, energy stored in batteries can be accessed at the flick of a switch. Brendan Cronin is CEO of Soleil Power in Kampala - East Africa’s first diversified lithium battery production company. He joins us in studio to explain a bit about how batteries work, how they're developing in the EV sector and what the future might look like for battery development in Uganda.

You can find out more about Soleil Power here:
https://www.soleilpower.ug/about-us

Thanks for listening and see you next time -

Josephine

This is the story of how Halima Nalunkuma decided to become a provider of agricultural materials - and knowledge - to farmers. And how she's now working with refugeee communities to encourage minimal tilling agricultural methods, leading to improved yields and increased economic wellbeing in those communities. And crucially, improving their resilience in the face of climate change.

Halima Nalunkuma is Director of Kiryandongo Agro Input Center Limited. She's a great talker, equal parts inspiring, thoughtful and insighful, and as she mentions in our chat, she received support from the Climate Smart Jobs Initiative. It supports '...sustainable solutions for Ugandan smallholder farmers to respond to climate change.' You can find out more about the Climate Smart Jobs programme here:

https://csj.co.ug/

Climate Smart Jobs is also the funder of this podcast. Thanks to Halima Nalunkuma for being so generous with her time and knowledge. Drop us a line any time - climatetalkpod@gmail.com

Thanks for listening and see you next time -

Josephine

Sometimes life happens while you're busy making other plans. Halima Nalunkuma wanted to be a banker and to 'wear shoes with pointy heels.' But while in Kiryandongo she saw an opportunity and grabbed it with both hands. This is the story of how she's now working with refugeee communities to encourage minimal tilling agricultural methods, leading to improved yields and increased economic wellbeing in those communities. And crucially, improving their resilience in the face of climate change.

Halima Nalunkuma is Director of Kiryandongo Agro Input Center Limited. She's a great talker, equal parts inspiring, thoughtful and insighful, and as she mentions in our chat, she received support from the Climate Smart Jobs Initiative. It supports '...sustainable solutions for Ugandan smallholder farmers to respond to climate change.' You can find out more about the Climate Smart Jobs programme here:

https://csj.co.ug/

Climate Smart Jobs is also the funder of this podcast. Thanks to Halima Nalunkuma for being so generous with her time and knowledge. Drop us a line any time - climatetalkpod@gmail.com

Thanks for listening and see you next time -

Josephine

Mulching. Doesn't sound so...exciting. But trust me, this is a totally compelling conversation.

It's about 'Pfumvudza,' a conservation-based approach to agriculture that makes small parcels of land more productive through minimum tillage, mulching, crop rotation, and timely planting. Because it is focused on small plots of land, it can be especially effective in helping smallholder famrers and others with limited access to land - members of refguee communities, for instance.

On their recent training visit to Uganda, I spoke with William Tom and Maqhawe Mthembu of Foundations for Farming. They're based in Zimbabwe, where pfumvudza has been in operation for some time. On this visit they were training communities in northern Uganda in effective use of pfumvudza. They explain the philosphical basis of the approach and the nuts and bolts of making it work. As explained on the Foundations for Farming Website, pfumvudza has some distinct characteristics:

'To succeed, farmers follow the Foundations for Farming principles:

• Do everything On Time
• At a High Standard
• Without Wastage
• And With Joy

And remember the key conservation practices:

• Minimal soil disturbance – no ploughing, only planting basins
• Maximum soil cover – no burning, always mulch
• Crop rotation – maintain fertility and break pest cycles
• High management – plan, measure, and care faithfully'

Maqhawe and William argue that it offers an opportunity for smallholders from every community to make their land more productive, and eliminate food insecurity at a family level.

You can find out more here:
https://foundationsforfarming.org.zw/?page_id=10087

Speical thanks to our guests for this epsiode - William Tom and Maqhawe Mthembu - for a fascinating and illuminating conversation. And as always, thanks to you for listening.
Drop us a line anytime - climatetalkpod@gmail.com

And see you next time,

Josephine

To enable smallholder farmers to become resilient to climate change, they must be encouraged to view farming as a business. That's the key thrust of the argument put forth by Hon Chance Kabaghe in this episode of Climate Talk Uganda.

While visiting Uganda as a guest of the Climate Smart Jobs Initiative, Hon Chance Kabaghe's draws on his experience as an agricultural economist, large scale farmer, businessman, politician and academic. Amongst many roles, he is a former Minister for Agriculture in Zambia, and currently serves as Chairman of Seed Co Zambia, Seed Co East Africa, and Chairman of United Capital Fertiliser. He is also the founder and first Executive Director of the Food Reserve Agency of Zambia.

You can read more about his achievements here:
https://www.anapri.net/mr-chance-kabaghe/

And you can find out more about the Climate Smart Jobs Initiative here:
https://csj.co.ug/

This was a very stimulating and thought-provoking conversation. Sincere thanks to Hon Chance Kabaghe for taking the time to make it happen. And thanks to you all for listening. Drop us a line any time: climatetalkpod@gmail.com - and see you next time.

Josephine

Agroecology, explains Josephine Akia Luyimbazi of PELUM, is a systematic approach to agriculture that is based on working in harmony with nature and natural processes. In this wide ranging conversation she details the work PELUM uundertakes with farming communities across Uganda, seed banks, the outcomes that famers experience from adopting agroecological farming practices, and her view of the vital importance of seed sovereignty in the face of agri-business practices in the country.

As outlined on the PELUM website, "PELUM (Participatory Ecological Land Use Management) is a regional network of over 320 civil society organizations in 12 countries in East, Central and Southern Africa working in the area of participatory ecological land use management. The Association works to improve the livelihoods of smallholder farmers and the sustainability of farming communities, by fostering ecological land use management. Country chapters include Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania, Rwanda, Malawi, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Lesotho, Botswana, South Africa, Ethiopia and Swaziland."

You can find out more about the Uganda chapter here:
https://pelumuganda.org/

https://pelumuganda.org/the-voice-of-afsa-meet-josephine-akia-luymibazi/

Iganachi Razaki Omia is the founder and CEO of Omia Agribusiness Development Group, which provides farmers in northern Uganda with a huge range of sevices from agricultural inputs and extension support services to effective linkages to markets. In this full, unedited interview with Josephine Karungi he talks about how the business started, his personal motivations, and how women and refugees face particular challenges when it comes to farming and making an income in an unstable climate.

As one of the major service providers in the region, Omia Agribusiness Development Group is seen by many as a real-world example of how the private sector can help farmers adapt to the challenges of climate change. As part of this process, Omia Agribusiness has been working in partnership with the Climate Smart Jobs Initiative, which is the parent organisation behind this podcast. The Climate Smart Jobs Initiative is funded by the United Kingdom Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office.

You can find Omia Agribusiness Development Group here:
https://omiaagribusinessdg.com/

And you can find out more about the Climate Smart Jobs Initiative here:
https://csj.co.ug/

As always, thank you for listening. If you have comments or feedback, please drop us a line: climatetalkpod@gmail.com is where you'll find us. Until next time, stay well.

Josephine.

Iganachi Razaki Omia is the founder and CEO of Omia Agribusiness Development Group, which provides farmers in northern Uganda with a huge range of sevices from agricultural inputs and extension support services to effective linkages to markets. He joins Josephine Karungi to talk about how the business started, his personal motivations, and how women and refugees face particular challenges when it comes to farming and making an income in an unstable climate.

As one of the major service providers in the region, Omia Agribusiness Development Group is seen by many as a real-world example of how the private sector can help farmers adapt to the challenges of climate change. As part of this process, Omia Agribusiness has been working in partnership with the Climate Smart Jobs Initiative, which is the parent organisation behind this podcast. The Climate Smart Jobs Initiative is funded by the United Kingdom Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office.

You can find Omia Agribusiness Development Group here:
https://omiaagribusinessdg.com/

And you can find out more about the Climate Smart Jobs Initiative here:
https://csj.co.ug/

This episode is an edited version of a longer conversation I had with Iganachi Razaki Omia. You can find the full audio of our chat by going to our episode called Climate Talk Extra - Iganachi Razaki Omia in Conversation with Josephine Karungi.

As always, thank you for listening. If you have comments or feedback, please drop us a line: climatetalkpod@gmail.com is where you'll find us. Until next time, stay well.

Josephine.

Looking back on it, 2025 was a big year: we covered climate change, electric boda-bodas and reducing food waste; innovations to improve the shelf life of fruit and increase moisture retention in soil; coffee prices, food prices and how climate change affects them, including at the local market; we've talked mental health, public health more broadly and how AI might be used to predict future needs; climate change as a hazard for humans, flood impacts, and environmental protection. Resilience at a community level, why wetlands matter and climate change journalism; COP30, how it unfolded and what it means for Uganda. And our most listened to episode: an up close account of the closure of USAID in Uganda, the unfinished projects left behind and the possible cost to Uganda's future.

It's a lot, and yet there's so much more to do. Which is why we're so excited about the year ahead, when we'll continue exploring the day to day impacts of climate change across Uganda, and bringing you analysis, stories and perspectives. We hope you'll continue to spread the news about the podcast among your networks of friends and colleagues, and thanks for listening.

With best wishes,

Josephine

So much stuff in this episode. Big stuff. Uganda is now co-chairing the Green Climate Fund: 'You can't be the one that is slaughtering a cow and then you don't give your family a big part of that cow.' Then there's the green list, the red list and the blue zone; the promised tripling of adaptation finance and the adaptation plan for Uganda. There's the fossil fuel roadmap that wasn't; a phased approach to a phase-out that won't; rich countries' double standards; the indigenous takeover of the conference and the Ugandan government lobbying to retain the use of fossil fuels.

Jackson Muhindo Rukara of OXFAM Uganda joins us with his personal reflections and big picture view of the negotiations and the politics.

If you'd like some good summaries of various aspects of COP30, go here:

From The Coversation: 'Petrostates-block-climate-deal-once-again-but-some-countries-are-taking-their-own-decisive-steps-to-phase-out-fossil-fuels'
https://theconversation.com/cop30-petrostates-block-climate-deal-once-again-but-some-countries-are-taking-their-own-decisive-steps-to-phase-out-fossil-fuels-270580 

From Carbon Brief: 'Cop30 key outcomes agreed at the UN climate talks in Belem'
https://www.carbonbrief.org/cop30-key-outcomes-agreed-at-the-un-climate-talks-in-belem/

And also from Carbon Brief': 'Why COP30’s ‘tripling adaptation finance’ target is less ambitious than it seems'
https://www.carbonbrief.org/analysis-why-cop30s-tripling-adaptation-finance-target-is-less-ambitious-than-it-seems/

And so, this episode brings to an end our special season focused on COP30. We hope you've found it as insightful and revealing as we have. It feels like we have a whole new understanding of the significance of the COP meetings, and how they actually work. Special thanks to all our guests who took time to speak with us.

We'll see for our next episode - a COP30-free zone. Until then, thanks for listening, and drop us a line any time - climatetalkpod@gmail.com

Josephine

Bart Dewaele is a General Director at Join For Water. Recorded on 21st November 2025, while negotiations at COP30 were still underway, he shares his clear-eyed reflections on how things were playing out. Touching on many of the key issues for Uganda including the Global Goals on Adaptation, water, finance and fossil fuels, his insights are thoughtful, articulate and - despite the setbacks - focused on positive outcomes. It's really a fascinating conversation that gives a real sense of what's been going on at COP30 and what it means.

COP30 details can be found here:
https://unfccc.int/cop30

Keep an ear out for future episodes when we'll be exploring what COP30 means for Uganda. And drop us a line any time at climatetalkpod@gmail.com if you'd like to suggest a topic for us to cover. Or even if you just want to offer us some feedback. Thanks for listening, and see you soon.

Josephine Karungi

The future of the world's freshwater resources in an unpredictably changing climate is a vital issue. Vanessa Thompson, Communication and Development Advisor for Join For Water, Africa, joins us to outline what we might expect from COP30. She also describes the work Join For Water is currently doing in Uganda, and why it matters.

You can find out more about the work of Join For Water here:

https://joinforwater.ngo/en/about/uganda/

And all the latest info from COP30 is here:

https://unfccc.int/cop30

Thanks for listening and see you soon.

As COP30 gets up to speed we're joined by Jackson Muhindo Rukara of OXFAM Uganda. Before he leaves for Belem on Friday 14th he gives us a rundown on the priorities for OXFAM and other African countries. With an over-arching emphasis on payments for loss and damage, he identifies the key objectives that can make this happen. Despite the difficluties, he's excited and optimistic about the possiblity for positive outcomes, and gives us a few examples of work now underway in Uganda as a result of previous COP meetings.

You can find a rundown of OXFAM's events and partner events here:
https://www.oxfam.org/en/oxfam-and-partners-cop30-featured-and-parallel-events

Climate Action Network Uganda which Jasckon spoke about is here:
https://can.ug/

And here's the official page for COP30:
https://www.un.org/en/climatechange/cop30

Keep an eye out for our ongoing episodes from COP over the next couple of weeks, and drop us a line anytime. climatetalkpod@gmail.com is where you'll find us. Thanks, and see you soon.

The first of a series of special episodes on the UN Conference of Parties in Brazil - COP30 - the world's biggest climate shindig. I mean conference. In this first episode we hear three perspectives on what it's like to go to a COP (70,000+ people went to the one last year in Baku...that's a lot of sandwiches...), what goes on there and why it matters.

Dr Francis Mwesigye is a Chief Economist at Uganda Development Bank; Andrew Aijuka is a journalist and multimedia producer with InfoNile; and Peninah Atwine of Environment Alert represents the collective interests of Ugandan civil society groups. Together they begin to paint a picture for us of this extraordinary annual gathering of world leaders, thought leaders and innovators; governments and non-governmental organisations; lobbyists, academics, chancers and pretty much every other specialism you can think of.

You can find out more about the Uganda Development Bank here:
https://www.udbl.co.ug/

Peninah Atwine is a Program Office for Environment Alert - you can find out more about that organisation's work here:
https://envalert.org

Thanks to our guests on this episode - do get in touch if there's something to do with COP that you've always wanted to ask.

climatetalkpod@gmail.com

And thanks. See you next time.

A conversation about a report from the World Bank might not be your idea of a fun time. But as Cyril Desponts explains, the Uganda Country Climate and Development Report is fascinating, and a significant step on the journey towards a climate resilient future for the country. It's a journey that's already underway and, as this conversation reveals, it touches on every aspect of Ugandan society from economics to agriculture, infrastructure to education, health to innovation. This is an epic take on where we're at and where we're going.

You can find the report itself here. Weirdly, at this point it seem that it's only avalable in English.
https://documents.worldbank.org/en/publication/documents-reports/documentdetail/099062825014052486

Our heartfelt thanks to Cyril Desponts, Senior Economist at The World Bank.
And thanks to you for listening. As ever, drop us a line if you'd like us to focus on something climate change related that's important to you. Our email, climatetalkpod@gmail.com
See you next time.
JK.

Veteran journalist Samuel Ssettumba explains why informed, dedicated climate change coverage matters in 2025. The Nation Media Group now has a dedicated Climate Change Desk. He gives us an inside perspective on why that's a huge step forward for Uganda: making climate change reporting a priority and explaining it in ways that will make sense to Ugandans as they think about their everyday lives. We talk about the impacts of climate change on people and how they live; communicating those impacts to different communities; and presenting complex issues in ways that show that climate change is not abstract - it's about people: 'My mother, my grandfather.'

The Nation Media Group's Climate Change Desk was established in partnership with the parent organisation of this podcast, the Climate Smart Jobs Project.

You can find out more about the Nation Media Group here:
https://www.nationmedia.com/

And you can find the Climate Smart Jobs project here:
https://csj.co.ug/

Thanks so much to Samual Ssettumba for joining us for this episode.
Drop us a line any time at climatetalkpod@gmail.com
And we'll see you next time.

Amayiko Martin's three part documentary aired on Radio Simba. It's called 'Sub-counties are in tears - assailants destroyed over 300 hectares of Nkambwe Forest.' He joins us on Climate Talk Uganda to talk about the story of the destruction and restoration of the forest, how communities reacted to his documentary, and how it feels to win such a high profile award for his work. It's a fascinating glimpse of the commitment it takes to report well on climate change and respect the communities you work with.

You can fnd out more about the other Uganda National Journalism Award winners here:
https://acme-ug.org/2025/05/29/uganda-national-journalism-awards-2025-meet-the-winners/

As always, thanks to all of you for listening - if you'd like to drop us a line please do: climatetalkpod@gmail.com is where you'll find us.

On July 1st 2025 USAID officially shut down. For many countries around the world it represents a massive blow to a range of development programmes covering everything from health, agriculture and education to governance and climate change mitigation. In today's compelling episode, Robert Bagyenda joins us to share his insights into the likely consequences of this change. At the time of USAID's closure Robert was the team leader for the Environment Climate and Engineering Unit.

Here you can fiind a report published in The Lancet in 2025 forecasting that the closure of USAID could lead to the deaths of as many as 14,000,000 people.

https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(25)01186-9/fulltext

And you can find the shuttered USAID website here -

https://www.usaid.gov/

The 23rd to the 31st July 2025 saw the 15th meeting of the Conference on Wetlands in Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe. The Wetlands COP15's theme was "Protecting Wetlands for our Common Future," and today's guest was one of Uganda's representatives.

Asadhu Ssebyoto is a Senior Wetlands Officer in the Ugandan Ministry of Water and Environment. And to say he's a man with a passion for wetland preservation would be an understatement: to use his own words, it's a subject he eats, drinks and sleeps.

In this episode he talks us through the common types of wetlands found in Uganda, how we should understand their importance, and why long term preservation is only possible when the livelihoods of local communities are taken into account.

You can find out more about the Wetlands COP15 here:

https://www.wetlandscop15.gov.zw/

Thanks as always to our guest, Asadhu Ssebyoto, and thanks to you for listening.

In this in-depth interview, Pauline Nantongo Kalunda talks to us about her own personal and professional growth. She has moved from being a scientist with a specialist interest in insects to entreprenurial activism and passionate advocacy for smallholding communities. She details the workings of the ECOTRUST model of incentivising environmentally sustainable practices, and offers many other fascinating insights along the way.

Pauline is the Executive Director of the Environmental Conservation Trust of Uganda: ECOTRUST. You can find out more about their work here:

https://ecotrust.or.ug/about-us/

This interview was recorded in August 2024.

Where to start with this amazing episode? Clarity, insight and perspective from Dr. John Bosco Isunju, of Makerere University, on the hazards we face as humans in the face of climate change, and the unique challenges that will shape the future of life in Uganda.

Dr. John Bosco Isunju brings a formidable depth of knowledge to these subjects, having worked across many areas of public health from environmental pollution, geospatial health, disaster risk reduction, and infection prevention to issues around occupational safety and health, and safe water and sanitation. And many other points in between.

Dr. Isunju recently led the Climate change vulnerability and adaptation assessment and development of Uganda's Health National Adaptation Plan. He is a member of the WHO Global Alliance for Transformative Action on Climate and Health.

At Makerere University, he is a cluster lead of the African Research Universities Alliance (ARUA)’s
Nature-Based Solutions cluster for climate change adaptation. He is a member of the Editorial
Board for the Makerere University Press. He also serves on the Grants and Research Capacity
Building Committee and is the Secretary for the MakSPH Research and Ethics Committee. He is
a Focal Person for the Consortium for Advanced Research Training in Africa, where he also
serves on the Board of Management.

As always, thanks to all of you for listening - if you'd like to drop us a line please do: climatetalkpod@gmail.com is where you'll find us.

This week we're turning our attention back to some of the broader questions around health and climate change. Crispus Mwemaho has a background in health services, and he's co-founder with Ivan Rwomukitomaof the Abayuuti Climate Action Network. He joined me in the studio last week to talk about the work the Abayuuti Climate Action Network does with people who have been displaced by flooding in Uganda.
But first, I asked Crispus Mwemaho what inspired him to focus on the ways climate change, climate mobility, and health intersect.

You can find out more about the Abayuuti Climate Action Network here:
https://www.abayuuti.org/

Kampala Climate Cafe on Instagram:
@kampalaclimatecafe

And you can find a fascinating article on mental health and climate displacement written by Crispus Mwemaho here:
Displaced and Distressed: Uncovering the Mental Impacts of Climate Displacement in Uganda

This is a timely and profound exploration of the strategies, passions and frustrations of environmental activism over a long period of time. Founded in 1983, Joint Energy Environment Projects exists to promote efficient use of natural resources and prevent the destruction of forests. Forty years after its founding, how does the CEO, Ruth Kiwanuka, reflect on her experiences; the progress that has been made; and the challenges that remain?

You can hear Ruth Kiwanuka speak about Joint Energy Environment Projects in this video from 2020:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J0QUZwRK3ro

And you can find out more about the work of JEEP and its partners here:

https://jeepfolkecenter.org/about/

As always, thanks for listening, and drop us a line any time: climatetalkpod@gmail.com

How do you prepare for outbreaks of malaria if climate change means that mosquitoes which spread the disease are thriving in areas that were previously off limits? When it comes to public health, climate change makes a tricky situation even more difficult.

In this episode Dr Muganzi David Jolly and Dr Ian Clarke discuss how AI might play a role in helpiing Uganda meet this challenge. Dr Muganzi David Jolly is the Health Innovation Hub manager at Clarke International University here in Kampala. Dr Ian Clarke is an Irish-born doctor, entrpreneur, and coffee farmer. In this wide-ranging conversation we touch on many aspects of the healthcare landscape in Uganda, and the idea that climate change can be a driving force for innovation.

You can find out more about Clarke International University here:
https://ciu.ac.ug/?s5_responsive_switch_wwwihsuacug=0

And you can find a brief profile of Dr Muganzi David Jolly here:
https://wayforwardyouth.org/muganzi_david

And as always, if you'd like to get in touch, climatetalkpod@gmail.com is where you'll find us.

Janet Kantalama Kantana joins Josephine to talk about how we can understand mental health challenges in the age of climate change. We explore how our inner wellbeing is affected when day to day life is disrupted by intense or unpredictable weather events. And we talk about measures we can take - individually and collectively - to make sure we are mentally resilient in those circumstances.

Janet Kantalama Kantana is a psychologist and Executive Director of Safe Places Uganda. It's a private facility helping people deal with mental health issues and addiction. You can find out more about Safe Places here:

https://safeplacesuganda.com/about-us/

Surges in malaria and other diseases; damage to clinics and other physical infrastructure; decreased access to immunisation and mental health services; illnesses due to increased heat and humidity; declining maternal and child health outcomes. These are just some of the health related impacts of climate change. In the first in a series of episodes focusing on health, Dr Didacus B. Namanya explains how the government of Uganda monitors these public health impacts, and is working on adaptation strategies for the future.

Dr Didacus B. Namanya (MSc., PhD. Public Health) is a geographer and is Focal Point (Climate Change and Health, and GIS) for the
Ministry of Health in the Government of Uganda.

You can find the Health National Adaptation Plan - which Dr Didacus Namanya talks about - here:
https://library.health.go.ug/environmental-health/climate-change/health-national-adaptation-plan-h-nap

Over the past few weeks we've been exploring fluctuations in the price of food and other commodities like coffee and cocoa. In this episode we're taking a step back and revisiting the causes of climate change, the need for adaptation, and the importance of integrated policy approaches from government. Our guest is Anthony Kagoro, who is a Climate Change Specialist at the Food and Agriculture Organization in Uganda.

Tracing the connections between the price of the food you put on your table, global commodity markets, local conditions and climate change is incredibly complex. Today we have probably Uganda's most important expert in the field joing us. Professor Bernard Bashaasha is Professor of Agricultural and Development Economics at Makerere University College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences‬. He has many years of experience analysing agriculture in Uganda and what makes it tick. And he shares his understandings with us in this episode.

Matoke! Irish potatoes! Mangoes! What more could you want?

The on-the-ground impacts of price fluctuations on these foods are felt day to day and season to season by traders in the markets around Kampala. William Ssekiranda speaks to three traders at Kalerwe Market about where they source their produce and how price variations affect them.

The price of coffee and many staple foods in Uganda have been rising steeply: good news for sellers (farmers), not so good news for consumers. And these price rises have been attributed to extreme weather due to climate change. In the first of two episodes, Josephine explores this link, and what it means for growing and selling coffee in Uganda and beyond. In our next episode we'll be looking at the price of food staples and attempting to understand the links between local conditions and global markets. It's complicated but utterly fascinating. So don't miss it.

This episode was recorded live at One Tribe Coffee Shop at 1 Bugologi Road, Kampala. They're open Monday - Saturday from 7:30am-6pm. Thanks so much to Gail Mawocha and the team there for making us so welcome. And thanks, also, Robert Byaruhanga.

You can see what's happening at One Tribe Coffee on their Insta page and website.
https://www.instagram.com/onetribe_coffee/
www.onetribecoffee.com

And you can find out more about the Uganda Coffee Development Authority here:
https://ugandacoffee.go.ug/

Producer: Martin Fowler
Sound Recordist: William Ssekiranda

Nicholas Najuna and Namutebi Muniirah are each developing new technologies to deal with aspects of climate change that particularly affect small holder farmers. Nicholas is founder and CEO of Afrotym, developing what they refer to as a 'waterbank' - a natural, biodegradable way of storing moisture within the soil. Namutebi Muniirah is co-founder of Umuntu Agrobiotics where her team has been developing Bio-Blend, a low cost microbial solution designed to increase soil productivity.

Both guests are beneficiaries of The Uganda Climate Innovation Fund - helping them develop their products and bring them to market. You can find out more about the Climate Innovation Fund here:

https://csj.co.ug/page/about-ucif

...and details of what the fund covers here:

https://csj.co.ug/page/available-support

Controlling the ripening of fruits and vegetables could be a major step forward in securing incomes for farmer and traders, as well as mitigating the impacts of climate change on the entire production chain. In this episode two traders from Kasubi Market in Kampala talk to WIlliam Ssekiranda about the challenges posed by the perish-ability of the produce they sell.

Then we hear from two Ugandan innovators who are developing ways of extending the shelf-life of fresh produce. Annet Diana Nanono and Gift Arnold Mugisha are developing their solutions with support from the Uganda Climate Innovation Fund.

You can find out more about their innovations here:

You can find out more about the Uganda Climate Innovation Fund here:

https://csj.co.ug/page/about-ucif

...and details of what the fund covers here:

https://csj.co.ug/page/available-support

Only the USA and China produce more greenhouse gases than food wastage. According to FAO estimates, the food that is lost and wasted could feed 1.26 billion hungry people every year. Brett Rierson has spent many years in the agricultural sector in Africa, and he's got some great perspectives on the causes of food wastage, how exactly it makes climate change worse, and what can be done to stop it. And you know, it turns out there are some very simple solutions that can make a very big impact.

This is the first of two linked episodes - the second will feature two Ugandan entrepreneurs who are developing accessible, innovative ways of combatting post harvest food wastage by prolonging the shelf life of fruit and vegetables.

If you'd like to get hold of some of the bags and other storage equipment Brett mentioned, you can contact the supplier here:
Belinda Celeste at SmilePlast: 0751-890-890

If you'd like to read more about food waste from the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation in 2022, you can find it here:
https://www.fao.org/newsroom/detail/fao-unep-agriculture-environment-food-loss-waste-day-2022/en

And more info about some of the solutions Brett was speaking about can be found here:

From the World Food Programme, "Empowering smallholder farmers to reduce post-harvest loss":
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j7mNzlqtFm8&t

Properly Storing Dried Grains and Legumes Using Hermetically Sealed Bags:
https://youtu.be/1KIO-P1ZsL8?si=67o67q9_Pet4WLOu

Information about YieldWise, a Rockerfeller Foundation (USA) funded initiative to eliminate wastage:
https://www.rockefellerfoundation.org/initiative/yieldwise/

Felix Muchiri of Green Hub East Africa discusses the benefits of boda-bodas that are not powered by petrol engines in a city where climate change impacts can be intense. 'We envision a time when the skies in Kampala can just be blue,' he says. Felix is a mechatronics and electronics engineer, and a passionate advocate for electric boda-bodas as one way of creating a sustainable, climate friendly transportation system in Uganda and East Africa.

Felix also describes Green Hub East Africa's partnership with an innovative programme designed to give women access to careers as riders of electric boda-bodas, and the economic empowerment it provides. It's called the Women on Wheels project, and you can find out more about it here:
https://womenrisingforafrica.org/women-on-wheels-empowering-women-in-uganda/

It's a fascinating conversation offering insights into how climate solutions can be engines for innovation, economic and social empowerment.

Felix Muchiri is a Project Manager at Green Hub East Africa
https://greenhubev.com/

Their partners include Glovo, and Safe Boda. You can find out more about Safe Boda here:
https://www.safeboda.com/

Going to work, school or shopping, cycling can be the easiest way to get around a congested city. As long as you can do it without fear of dying. Activist, community educator and avid cyclist Owiny Hakim explains what it's like to cycle in Kampala and why an integrated, comprehensive approach to making cycling easier and safer could pay huge dividends in the future. As the city grapples with the consquences of climate change, it turns out two wheels might be better than four.

And Climate Talk's William Ssekiranda shares his experience of a narrow escape after a bicyle accident a few years ago.

You can find out more about Hakim's work here:

https://kiu.ac.ug/news-page.php?i=kius-hakim-owiny-wants-to-turn-kampala-into-a-smart-city

and here:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/owiny-hakim-966064243/?originalSubdomain=ug

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.