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Climate Talk Uganda With Josephine KarungiEpisode 29: Making Climate Resilient Communities A RealityIn 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...2025-07-2546 minClimate Talk Uganda With Josephine KarungiEpisode 28: 'The mosquitoes have adapted, the people have not.'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.
...2025-07-1134 minClimate Talk Uganda With Josephine KarungiEpisode 27: Communities Displaced by Floods and Other Impacts of Climate ChangeThis 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...2025-06-2729 minClimate Talk Uganda With Josephine KarungiEpisode 26: What Progress in Protecting Uganda's Environment?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...2025-06-1327 minClimate Talk Uganda With Josephine KarungiEpisode 25: Predicting Healthcare Needs, AI and Climate ChangeHow 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...2025-05-3029 minClimate Talk Uganda With Josephine KarungiEpisode 24: The Impact of Climate Change on Mental HealthJanet 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...2025-05-1624 minClimate Talk Uganda With Josephine KarungiEpisode 23: Climate Change and Health Outcomes in UgandaSurges 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...2025-05-0231 minClimate Talk Uganda With Josephine KarungiEpisode 22: A Reminder of the Big PictureOver 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. 2025-04-1827 minClimate Talk Uganda With Josephine KarungiEpisode 21: Food Prices, Farming and Climate Change ExplainedTracing 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. 2025-04-0626 minClimate Talk Uganda With Josephine KarungiEpisode 20: Talking Food Prices with Market TradersMatoke! 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. 2025-03-2321 minClimate Talk Uganda With Josephine KarungiEpisode 19: Two Perspectives on Rising Coffee Prices and Climate Change.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...2025-03-0542 minClimate Talk Uganda With Josephine KarungiEpisode 18: Two Innovations: Retaining Soil Moisture and Improving Soil ProductivityNicholas 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...2025-02-2123 minClimate Talk Uganda With Josephine KarungiEpisode 17: Innovations to Prolong the Shelf-Life of Fruit and VegetablesControlling 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. 2025-02-0618 minClimate Talk Uganda With Josephine KarungiEpisode 16: Food Waste and Climate ChangeOnly 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...2025-01-2323 minClimate Talk Uganda With Josephine KarungiEpisode 15: Electric boda-bodasFelix 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...2025-01-1031 minClimate Talk Uganda With Josephine KarungiEpisode 14: Cycling could be key to unlocking Kampala's future in a climate-changed worldGoing 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...2024-12-1925 minClimate Talk Uganda With Josephine KarungiEpisode 13: Planning, development and managing water'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...2024-12-1316 minClimate Talk Uganda With Josephine KarungiClimate Talk Extra - Dealing with waste waterDealing 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. 2024-12-1311 minClimate Talk Uganda With Josephine KarungiClimate Talk Extra - Using Uganda's rainfall history to model future rain eventsFollowing 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. 2024-12-0310 minClimate Talk Uganda With Josephine KarungiEpisode 12: Floods and infrastructureDrains, 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...2024-12-0217 minClimate Talk Uganda With Josephine KarungiEpisode 11: What does resilience to climate change actually mean?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...2024-11-1438 minClimate Talk Uganda With Josephine KarungiEpisode 10: Listeners' reflections on climate changeTeddy 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. climatetalkpod@gmail.com is the address. 2024-11-0123 minClimate Talk Uganda With Josephine KarungiEpisode 9: The water cycle and coping with disruptionToo 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...2024-10-1820 minClimate Talk Uganda With Josephine KarungiEpisode 8: Agroforestry and climate changeAgriculture + 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...2024-09-2620 minClimate Talk Uganda With Josephine KarungiEpisode 7: Women Speak about the Impacts of Climate ChangeBetween 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...2024-09-2020 minClimate Talk Uganda With Josephine KarungiEpisode 6: Hunger, nutrition and food security in a changing climateThe 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...2024-09-0625 minClimate Talk Uganda With Josephine KarungiEpisode 5: Reporting on climate change and making a green economy workGerald Tenywa has been reporting for the last two decades on wildlife, ivory trafficking, forests, wetlands, pollution, oil, land, water and climate change. Ole Rasmussen is currently head of the Green Economy Team with Royal Danish Embassy in Uganda. We talk about how they first started working on climate change issues; what they've witnessed as communities are forced to adapt to sudden change; making sense of adaptation while still making a living. And how a rapidly changing climate may affect the coffee growing areas in Uganda - something I'm really keen on finding out more about in future episodes. 2024-08-2733 minClimate Talk Uganda With Josephine KarungiEpisode 4: Marabou storks, wetlands and nature, with Achilles Byaruhanga of Nature UgandaAchilles Byaruhanga is the Executive Director of Nature Uganda, and he's an amazing person to listen to. This conversation with Josephine Karungi begins with the resilience and beauty of Marabou Storks (yes, you heard that right) and quickly moves on to the magical nature of wetlands, the vital importance of birdlife in Ugandan ecosystems, water resources and climate change, and the economic opportunties presented by the natural world in Uganda. It's a fantastic listen, and we hope you enjoy it as much as we did.
You can find out more about the work of Nature Uganda here:2024-08-0932 minClimate Talk Uganda With Josephine KarungiEpisode 3: Women in Arua balance domestic obligations with climate challengesWe begin this episode in Koboko, about 55 miles north of Arua, where we hear from two women about how they balance their many obligations, and how climate chance is making that more challenging. We also speak with Betty Ikanza, a Social Development Advisor with the British High Commission Kampala. She highlights how climate change impacts women in particular, and how communities are developing strategies to adapt to these changing circumstances.
Want to drop us a line? climatetalkpod@gmail.com is the place to go.
If you like this episode, let your friends know - share...2024-07-1124 min
Climate Talk Uganda With Josephine Karungi1: Smallholder farmers living with climate changeSmallholder farmers are at the business end of climate change - it affects their everyday lives in profound ways. In this episode we hear their testimonies. And Josephine chats with Xavier Ejoyi, Uganda Country Director for Action Aid, about what he's learning about resilient communities across Northern Uganda as they work to adapt to a changing climate.
Want to drop us a line? climatetalkpod@gmail.com is the place to go.
If you like this episode, let your friends know - share it on your socials, or give us a review. It makes a huge...2024-06-2522 minClimate Talk Uganda With Josephine KarungiEpisode 2: Agricultural extension work and an overview of agriculture and climate changeIn this episode we hear from Kenneth Tibamanya, an agricultural extension worker, about serving communities in Kiryandongo District as they face the ongoing impacts of climate change. And we get a broader perspective on agriculture and climate from former Minister of Agriculture for Uganda, Honorable Dr. Victoria Sekitoleko. As a passionate advocate for farming communities, she talks about what she's seeing in communities across Uganda.
Want to drop us a line? climatetalkpod@gmail.com is the place to go.
If you like this episode, let your friends know - share it on your socials, or...2024-06-2518 min