General
Economic Assessment of Climate Change in Uganda-Adaptation Costly but Inevitable
After a year of intensive research and studies, Climate and Development Knowledge Network (CDKN) in conjunction with Climate Change Department (CCD), Ministry of Water and Environment has produced a fully fledged report on the Economic assessment of the impacts of climate change in Uganda.
Presenting the Report during the Economic Assessment Study-National Outreach Event organized by CDKN, Ministry of Water and Environment and Makerere University on 24th November 2015 at Protea Hotel-Kampala, Dr. Olivier Beucher from Le Groupe-conseil Baastel Sprl (Baastel) highlighted that although the cost of adapting to climate change is high, the cost of inaction is twenty times higher.
According to the report (Economic assessment of the impacts of climate change in Uganda), climate change is likely to cause an increase in extreme weather events such as floods, heat and droughts. Highlands are likely to become wetter and rainfall is expected to be more erratic, unpredictable and intense, with shorter rain seasons.
In addition, the report also points out that;
- Development prospects will only be reached if the impacts of climate change in Uganda are mitigated.
- The impacts of climate change in Uganda are expected to be felt across the sectors of agriculture, energy, infrastructure and water, as well as the local areas of Mpanga River Basin, Mt. Elgon, Karamoja and Kampala City, as studied to varying degrees
- The cost of adaptation will be so high estimated at around US$406m over the next five years (2015-2020). On an annual basis, this amounts to about 5% of the net official development assistance received and 3.2% of the total government revenues (excluding grants).
- The cost of inaction is 20 times greater than the cost of adaptation: inaction is estimated at between US$3.1b and 5.9b per year by 2025, which is more than 20 times of the proposed adaptation budget.
Further examining the economic impact in Uganda, Dr. Beucher said that Climate Change is more likely to affect the four sectors of Agriculture, Water, Infrastructure, and Energy. He highlighted that the damages to be reached in these sectors are estimated to collectively amount to 2-4% of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) between 2010 and 2050.
“The higher the growth in GDP the lower is the percentage. The estimates include the costs of current variability as well as future change. In fact a major part of the problem comes from the current variability and a lack of infrastructure to deal with it. This gives urgency to the problem and to the need to act now to reduce impacts climate change,” he said.
He explained to the participants that, the development prospects for Uganda foresee an average annual growth rate of 7-8% over the next 25 years and a drop in poverty levels. However, Beucher said that these prospects depend on a lot of factors working in favour of implementation of sustainable development policies.
“Uganda is ready to take immediate actions, and must do so. Many of the recommended actions are likely to be ‘no regrets’. They will bring about gains regardless of whether climate change happens or not. Many of the actions also have potential co-benefits, for example reducing use of biomass for energy has carbon benefits and also potential biodiversity, health, and water management benefits,” he said.
In January 2014, the Government of Uganda commissioned the Economic Assessment of the Impact of Climate Change study. Its purpose was to provide the Government with economic evidence of the current and future costs associated with climate variability and predicted climate change, and the necessary adaptation measures for different sectors on both national and local scales. This evidence was intended to help policy makers mainstream climate change and resilience into national and sectoral policies and develop the case for investing in adaptation.
The study was carried out by climate change scientists from Makerere University, Metroeconomica (UK) and the University of Wolverhampton Centre for International Development and Training (CIDT) led by the Le Groupe- conseil Baastel Sprl (Baastel. It was jointly funded by the Climate and Development Knowledge Network (CDKN) and the Department for International Development (DFID).
According to the report, the evidence from the study has already informed Uganda’s Intended National Determined Contribution (INDC) to the 21st Conference of Parties (COP21), and to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) both in Paris France. The INDC outlines Uganda’s commitment to climate adaptation and mitigation of greenhouse gases as part of a new, universal global climate agreement that will be decided at the summit.
During the National Outreach Event organised under the theme: Economic Impact of Climate Change: what does it mean for Uganda’s development?, the Minister of Water and Environment Hon. Ephraim Kamuntu, acknowledged the great work carried out by CDKN, in sponsoring and developing the process of generating hard and empirical evidence on effects of Climate Change in Uganda. The Minister said that the figures generated will help to create awareness to the community.
He also explained that there is a need of the Ministry of Water and Environment to engage the community in influencing the impact of climate change as well as changing people’s mindsets towards a common goal of investing in Climate Change adaptation measures.
“There is a need to change peoples’ mindset and make them understand that climate change is real. Many Ugandans think that climate change is a myth. Therefore we need to prove to them that we are already experiencing it. It is very clear that in Buduuda almost 300 people were buried alive, glaciers on mountain Rwenzori melted and the recent floods in the western region clearly indicate that we are experiencing the impacts of Climate Change,” he said.
“We must also agree on means of implementation on Financing Climate Change. Money should be earmarked and not confused with funding for other programs. Secondly, Uganda National Meteorological Authority should be well equipped with modern technology to predict climate change accurately and raise awareness on it. At National Level, we need to engage Ministry of Finance, Planning and Economic Development to understand the economic threats of climate change,” he added.
In her speech, Ms. Claire Monkhouse from Climate and Development Knowledge Network (CDKN) said that Uganda contributes very little to this climate problem with less than 1% of the greenhouse gas emission. She said that Uganda is one of the 13 countries CDKN supports across Africa, Asia and Latin America to investigate climate adaptations and mitigation.
“I would like to emphasize that the study has highlighted that Uganda’s economy has already been impacted by climate variability and I am sure that these effects will rise with climate change. I thank the people who have been involved in the study and developing the findings that have been partly illustrated in the film. We are going to show this film to the climate experts in the coming Paris conference and I believe that it will greatly influence the binding agreement, we are going to draft during the conference,” she noted.
The Head, Department for International Development (DFID) Uganda Mr. Howard Standen noted that the Paris agreement should give a framework for accelerating a global transition of climate resilient economy. To him this can only be achieved by collective measures and true determination of countries.
“It is my pleasure to participate in such an important discussion which will positively impact on the national vision of this country. The national vision of Uganda is to transform the country into a competitive middle income country by 2040. I therefore congratulate the Minister of Water and Environment together with the Government of Uganda for the strong efforts they invested in the study and commitment to strongly reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 22% by 2030,” said Mr. Standen.
In a speech read by the Principal, College Agricultural and Environmental Sciences (CAES) Prof. Bernard Bashaasha, the Vice Chancellor, Prof. John Ddumba-Ssentamu said Makerere University has engaged in building capacity for climate change mitigation and adaptation.
“The Makerere University College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, has integrated aspects of climate change at undergraduate level and introduced new regional Masters Programmes on the same. The College also developed seeds for rangeland forages, drought and diseases resistant varieties of crops as well as carried out extensive research on indigenous multipurpose tree species that can absorb carbon dioxide from the environment,” explained Prof. Ddumba-Ssentamu.
What do the study findings mean to Uganda?
According to Mr. David O.O. Obong, Permanent Secretary- Ministry of Water and Environment the study findings have increased awareness to guide the government and community on how to act on climate change. Mr. Obong said that Ministry of Water and Environment is currently engaging all stakeholders to come up with the legal framework for implementing climate change adaptation across all sectors.
“For coordination, Ministry of Water and Environment has asked agencies to have a focal person for Climate Change. All sectors that is to say; the infrastructure, water, energy and agricultural sectors were asked by the Ministry of Finance, Planning and Economic Development to integrate climate change in their activities,” he mentioned.
Dr. Wilberforce Kisamba Mugerwa, Chairperson of National Planning Authority (NPA) highlighted that NPA in collaboration with Ministry of Water and Environment has developed guidelines for sectors and local authorities to prioritize certain activities during budgeting.
“Guidelines for local authorities exist. We have limitation of capacity at both sector and local government levels. Climate Change is a crosscutting issue just like HIV and Gender, so capacity has to be built if we are to mainstream and stipulate roles for each agency. There is also a need to identify who is responsible for what activity,” he said.
On behalf of Kampala Capital City Authority, Dr. Najib Lukooya Bateganya mentioned that most of the issues raised in the study i.e. water, infrastructure and energy relate to Kampala except agriculture. Dr. Bateganya said that engaging in the study helped KCCA to better understand the impact of climate change on its development activities. He 
further noted that with the help of the French Development Agency, KCCA was able to develop a Kampala Capital City Action Plan in which infrastructure is key.
“KCCA is also prioritizing drainage in which the Authority has developed projects planned up to US$500m to handle the drainage situation. On Renewable Energy, we are switching streetlights to solar and our target is to convert to 100% solar street lighting. We also need to decommission and start on new project to help recover recyclable resources at the Kiteezi landfill as well as create demand for climate-resilient planning at community level,” he stated.
The conference was moderated by Mr. Joseph Epitu, from Climate Change Department- Ministry of Water and Environment, Dr. Revocatus Twinomuhangi, Country's Engagement Leader-CDKN and Ms. Janefrances Alowo from Makerere University.
Article by Mak Public Relations Office
General
Strengthening South-South Academic Partnerships: Makerere University and Binary University Chart a Strategic Path for Innovation, Entrepreneurship and Women’s Leadership
A New Chapter in Uganda–Malaysia Higher Education Collaboration
Makerere University has started preliminary discussions with Binary University of Management and Entrepreneurship (Malaysia) to deepen its global partnerships through high-level engagements, aimed at fostering innovation-driven education, entrepreneurship, and women’s leadership. Chaired by the Deputy Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs, Prof. Sarah Ssali, the meeting explored a structured framework for collaboration that responds to Uganda’s urgent need for skills development, job creation, and industry-aligned learning.
This emerging partnership reflects a shared vision: to move beyond traditional academic models towards a practical, industry-integrated, and entrepreneurship-focused education system that equips graduates with real-world skills and global competitiveness.
Responding to Uganda’s Employment Challenge Through Entrepreneurship
“While chairing the meeting, Prof. Sarah Ssali noted that Makerere University and other Universities, together, currently graduate over 35,000 students annually, yet the private sector creates only about 700 new jobs per year. With an expanding population and intense job competition, where a single vacancy can attract over 4,000 applicants, the urgency for alternative employment pathways is clear.
Makerere’s Innovation Hub and Centre for Entrepreneurship have become critical pillars in addressing this challenge. Through platforms such as the Innovation Expo, now in its third edition and featuring over 600 student exhibitions, the university continues to nurture problem-solvers, innovators, and job creators. This ecosystem aligns strongly with Binary University’s entrepreneurial philosophy, making the Centre for Entrepreneurship a natural anchor point for collaboration.
Binary University’s Industry Specialist Professional (ISP) Model
Binary University brings a unique global model that directly integrates industry practitioners into the classroom. Its Industry Specialist Professional (ISP) programme, operational since 1999, ensures students graduate with skills tailored to specific industry needs. Industry experts with decades of practical experience teach across disciplines such as: Artificial Intelligence and Data Analytics, Oil and Gas, Renewable Energy, Engineering, Film and Media Production to mention but a few.
“ With over 10,500 practising entrepreneurs in its ecosystem in Malaysia, Binary offers students direct mentorship and exposure to active business environments, ensuring graduates are not only employable but also entrepreneurial.” Tan Sri Dato Professor Joseph Adaikalam, the Executive Chairman and Founder, Binary University of Management and Entrepreneurship, noted.
Key Areas of Proposed Collaboration
The discussions outlined a structured and scalable partnership model anchored on the following areas:
1. Dual and Joint Degree Programmes
- 2+2 Joint Bachelor’s Degrees in specialised fields through an International Department structure.
- 1+1 Joint Master’s Programmes including: MBA for Engineers, Renewable Energy MBA and Semiconductor MBA
- Dual award systems to ensure international recognition and student mobility.
2. PhD and Staff Development Programmes
- Winter/Summer PhD models in Renewable Energy and Waste Management
- Nominated students to benefit from 50% tuition waivers
- PhD pathways tailored for academic staff development
3. Executive Development Programmes (EDPs)
High-impact, short-term programmes targeting senior leaders, featuring joint certification with a focus on AI for CEOs, Global Issues & Entrepreneurship. These EDPs are designed to empower leaders with strategic insight into global trends, innovation, and entrepreneurship.
Placing Women’s Leadership at the Centre
A key pillar of the proposed collaboration is engagement with Malaysia’s Centre for Women’s Leadership (CWL), which focuses on empowering women through entrepreneurship and gender compliance mechanisms.
Puan Sri Datin, Prof. Dr. Rohini Devi, the co-founder and Vice Chairman, Binary University, highlighted the unique opportunities this partnership presents for a Joint women’s leadership training initiative, feminist academic exchanges, gender-responsive entrepreneurship models and an initiative to strengthen Makerere’s Institute of Gender Studies as a regional hub.
This aligns with Malaysia’s progressive gender compliance policies for public funding and women’s leadership development, a model that holds strong relevance for African institutions.
Learning from Regional and Global Best Practices
The meeting underscored valuable lessons from global contexts, including Nigeria’s model, where every graduate leaves with a practical vocational skill, Zambia’s Winter-Summer academic model with tuition waivers, Malaysia’s government investment in higher education and entrepreneurship
These case studies reinforce the need for practical skills as survival tools while graduates transition into formal employment or entrepreneurship.
A Win-Win Partnership for the Future
This collaboration is envisioned as a mutually beneficial model that complements Makerere’s academic strengths while leveraging Binary’s industry-driven approach. It will enhance student mobility, staff exchange, joint research, innovation transfer, and entrepreneurship development, all while maintaining strong quality assurance mechanisms.
As Makerere University continues to reimagine higher education in a rapidly changing world, this partnership signals a transformative shift towards globally competitive, innovation-led, and socially responsive learning systems.
With optimism and strategic intent, both institutions commit to open dialogue, structured implementation, and long-term impact. The Makerere-Binary partnership stands as a powerful example of how South-South collaboration can redefine education, accelerate entrepreneurship, and empower future leaders, especially women, for Africa’s development trajectory.
Caroline Kainomugisha is the Communications Officer, Advancement Office, Makerere University.
General
Strengthening the Makerere–Nottingham Trent University Partnership: Building More Legs on a Stable Chair
On 21st November, 2025, the Deputy Vice Chancellor, Academic Affairs, hosted a delegation from the Nottingham Trent University (NTU). The meeting underscored the need to re-model what purposeful, equitable and future-oriented international collaboration can look like between Universities. What began as a 15 year focused engagement in Public Health is set to evolve into a mature, multi-dimensional partnership guided by a shared commitment to knowledge exchange, cultural sensitivity, innovation and community transformation. With the current Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) running until 2028, now in its third iteration, both institutions are deliberately reimagining the next phase of collaboration, extending its impact over the next 15 years and beyond.
Moving Beyond Public Health: A Broader Vision for Collaboration
While past collaborations have significantly advanced areas such as community health, microbial research, leadership among health managers and non-communicable diseases, the future partnership envisions a more diversified and resilient framework.
Prof. Neil Mansfield, the Executive Dean, Research and International Reputation, NTU, noted that this growth strategy is anchored in building additional “legs” onto the partnership chair; creating stability through cross-disciplinary engagement involving the School of Science and Technology, Department of Engineering, Business School, the Makerere University Gender Institute, and the creative arts at both Universities.
The expanded scope reflects a shared belief that sustainable development and innovation demand integrated approaches that bring together engineers, social scientists, anthropologists, business leaders, climate scientists and creatives among others disciplines.
Equitable Partnership as a Guiding Principle
Both institutions reaffirmed the importance of equitable partnerships that prioritise shared ownership, mutual benefit and contextual relevance.
Prof. Linda Gisbon, Director, Global Public Health, NTU highlighted the importance of the shared ownership model for joint projects. She further noted that this approach has already gained scholarly recognition through published work advocating for afro-centric collaboration models, positioning the partnership as a benchmark for ethical international engagement.
The NTU–Makerere shared ownership model ensures that all projects are jointly created, jointly led and jointly benefitted from. Both institutions participate equally in decision-making, resource management, knowledge generation and dissemination, ensuring the partnership strengthens capacity on both sides rather than reproducing unequal power dynamics.(Gibson et al., 2023)
Engineering Innovation and Entrepreneurial Readiness
Dr. Hellen Karditsas, a senior lecturer at NTU, extensively shared about a possible flagship proposal which could be integrated within the expanded collaboration.
“NTU’s Engineering Challenge is an intensive three-week program engaging first- and second-year students in real-world product development. Students, supported by academic staff, conceptualise solutions, develop business models and transform ideas into market-ready products.” She noted.
Dr. Hellen, concluded by sharing that the Challenge engages students and staff from disciplines such as Mechanical, Electrical, Sport, Biomedical and Aerospace Engineering, this initiative exposes participants to the full innovation ecosystem, nurturing a generation of engineering entrepreneurs equipped for both industry and enterprise.
Prof. Sarah Ssali complimented the conversation when she noted, the growing interest in anthropological engineering and vernacular architecture – an interdisciplinary lens that examines how cultural practices and people’s way of life shapes their construction techniques and designs.
She further noted that, by recognising that “development is anti-people” when detached from lived realities, this partnership should seek to integrate cultural sensitivity into infrastructure design, ensuring that modernisation aligns with community needs and values.
Expanding into Arts, Design and Creative Industries
Another strategic leg of the partnership is strengthening ties between NTU and Makerere’s School of Performing Arts and Film. Plans include equipment-sharing initiatives, joint creative labs and collaborative production spaces aimed at enhancing capacity, storytelling and community engagement through visual and performing arts. These collaborations will also support public health communication through creative multimedia approaches and capacity building.
During the meeting, Makerere University Press partnerships and writing summer schools were also proposed to nurture scholarly publishing, academic writing and creative expression, further strengthening intellectual exchange between the two institutions.
Future projects will continue to integrate sociologists, anthropologists and social scientists to shape interventions that are not only technically sound but socially responsive and culturally aware.
Industry Linkages and Global Networks
Recognising the importance of industry engagement, the partnership seeks to connect with British-owned companies operating in Uganda as well as Ugandan enterprises with footprints in the UK. These linkages will enable practical learning opportunities, internships, applied research and joint innovation ventures.
Exchange visits for business students will also be prioritised to foster global exposure, entrepreneurial thinking and cross-cultural competence, equipping students to operate in increasingly interconnected economies.
A Partnership for the Future
The future Makerere–NTU collaboration will be defined by diversity, scalability and shared vision. By pulling together multiple schools and centres from Business and Natural Sciences to Engineering, Gender Studies and the Creative Arts the partnership is positioned to evolve into a holistic, long-term platform for knowledge production, innovation and people-centred development.
As both institutions reaffirm their commitment to constructive dialogue, joint planning and continuous evaluation, this partnership stands as a testament to how international cooperation can move beyond transactional engagement into transformative, sustainable impact.
In building more legs onto the partnership chair, Makerere University and Nottingham Trent University are not only strengthening institutional ties – they are shaping a resilient model for global academic collaboration that is equitable, agile and firmly rooted in shared purpose.
Reference;
Gibson, L., Ikhile, D., Nyashanu, M. & Musoke, D., 2023. Health promotion research in international settings: A shared ownership approach for North-South partnerships. In: L. Potvin & D. Jourdan, eds. Global Handbook of Health Promotion Research. Vol. 3: Doing Health Promotion Research. Cham: Springer International Publishing, pp.263-272.
Caroline Kainomugisha is the Communications Officer, Advancement Office, Makerere University.
General
Makerere University Hosts Delegation from Nottingham Trent University to Deepen Collaborative Ties
Makerere University has hosted a delegation from Nottingham Trent University (NTU) for high-level discussions focused on strengthening and expanding the long-standing collaboration between the two institutions. The team that was received by Prof. Sarah Ssali, the Deputy Vice Chancellor in charge of Academic Affairs was led by Prof. Neil Mansfield, the Executive Dean for Research and International Reputation, accompanied by Dr. Helen Karditsas, a senior lecturer in the Department of Engineering; Prof. Linda Gibson from Global Public Health at NTU; Ms. Mazeda Hossain, Director of the Eastern Africa Centre; and Dr. Damilola Omodara, Senior Lecturer in Public Health.
For over fifteen years, NTU has maintained a strong partnership with the Makerere University School of Public Health, working in areas such as community health, leadership development among health managers, and research on non-communicable diseases. This collaboration has supported student mobility, staff exchanges, and joint research initiatives that have contributed significantly to capacity building on both sides.
During the meeting, the NTU team expressed readiness to broaden this relationship beyond public health, noting that the existing achievements offer a strong foundation for expansion. Their vision is to build an interdisciplinary collaboration that brings together multiple colleges and fields of expertise, including engineering, environmental sciences, business, arts, and digital media. The team emphasized that diverse academic partnerships offer more stability and create wider opportunities for innovation, student training, and impactful research.
NTU is now seeking to establish a broader, university-wide Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) that will enable the two institutions to explore a wider range of synergies across disciplines. This approach is expected to make future collaborations more flexible, allowing different units to initiate joint projects, exchange programs, and research activities under one institutional framework.
Prof. Ssali welcomed the delegation and affirmed Makerere University’s commitment to deepening partnerships that strengthen teaching, research, and community engagement. She noted that an interdisciplinary model is essential for addressing emerging global challenges, and highlighted opportunities in areas such as climate science, engineering innovation, creative arts, and publishing.
The visit forms part of ongoing efforts to position Makerere University as a hub for impactful global collaborations that advance academic excellence and societal transformation.
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