Climate risk screening for food security in Karenga and Kapchesombe districts, evidence for policy, Uganda

Geographically, the Karenga and Kapchesombe Districts communities close to the Mount Elgon and Kidepo Valley National Parks, respectively are the focus of the climate change risk analysis. The influence of climate change on the availability of food is examined in this study, along with the methods employed by small-scale farmers in the two districts to adjust to changing family food requirements. A decrease in crop and fodder output is one of the implications of climate change and seasonal variations on food security. It has been noted that rainfall variability is the main factor affecting households' food security. 74.4 percent of the 379 respondents were able to adapt to addressing challenges related to food shortages through buying less expensive food, having meals for 4 days a week, reducing the size of meals in 7 days, and restricting consumption to certain times; but more respondents reported reducing the number of meals. In Karenga, meals were not regular and the majority missed critical meals such as breakfast and lunch which was replaced by local brew. The main barriers to food security were: inadequate financial resources, not being knowledgeable, looking at climate change as a natural calamity, lack of skills of adaptation, and inadequate labor to produce more food.