Majorities say they have adjusted the crops they plant and the food they eat.
Key findings
- More than seven in 10 Ugandans say they have experienced heatwaves (76%) and unusually severe droughts (71%) over the past five years.
- Almost two-thirds of Ugandans have heard about "climate change," either in English (44%) or in a local-language translation (20%). o Awareness of climate change increases with education (from 49% among citizens with no formal education to 84% among degree-holders) and varies across regions (from 53% among Central Ugandans to 78% of Kampala residents). o Awareness rises with consumption of news across a range of media channels.
- Among respondents who have heard of climate change: o Eight in 10 (79%) say human activity is the primary cause, while a further 9% say human activity and natural processes are jointly responsible. o More than half say climate change is making life "somewhat worse" (35%) or "much worse" (22%). o One in six (17%) report having personally taken action to raise awareness or seek help in response to problems caused by climate change or extreme weather events in the past five years. o The most common recommendations for government measures to help communities prepare for climate change are to provide emergency relief parcels during natural disasters (47%) and to improve warning and information systems about impending extreme events (46%). o A majority (57%) have heard of Ugandans who were displaced by climate change or extreme weather events, including 1% who were displaced themselves. Among these respondents, almost three-fourths (73%) say the government has done "fairly well" or "very well" on aiding displaced people.
- Among all respondents, majorities say climatic changes have led them to change the crops they plant (60% of those with crops) and the food they eat (53%).
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In Uganda, climate change is far from abstract; it is already affecting the course of people's lives. For example, forest fires and greater unpredictability in rainfall patterns are having serious consequences for people in the Rwenzori mountains who rely on glaciers and rivers for their food and livelihoods (Uchoa, 2021).
Climate change poses a major threat to Uganda's development, particularly in agriculture, which forms the backbone of the Ugandan economy. The agriculture, forestry, and fishing sector contributes one-fourth of Uganda's gross domestic product and employs two-thirds of its workers (Uganda Bureau of Statistics, 2024; International Trade Administration, 2023).
Climate change is thus an especially serious menace in rural communities, affecting livelihoods that rely on crops and livestock. Unpredictable rainfall and extreme weather events such as floods, droughts, and landslides are deepening social and economic challenges, including food scarcity, water insecurity, and forced displacement (International Organization for Migration, 2021). Landslides, especially in the Eastern region, have caused extensive loss of life. In 2010, landslides buried three villages in Bududa District, killing about 400 people and displacing 5,000 (International Organization for Migration, 2021). At least 20 people died and 125 houses were destroyed in Bulambuli District in a November 2024 landslide (Kasasira, 2024).
Uganda's National Climate Change Policy, adopted in 2015, lays out a framework for mitigating the impacts of climate change and promoting sustainable development (Masika, 2025). The National Climate Change Act of 2021 enshrines international agreements such as the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, the Kyoto Protocol, and the Paris Agreement in domestic law. The act mandates the development of climate-action plans at both the national and district levels, establishes institutional arrangements for coordinating climate-response measures, and provides for climate-change financing mechanisms. It also introduces and outlines the scope of climate-change litigation to sanction those who "threaten efforts towards adaptation to or mitigation of climate change," including the government (United Nations Environment Programme, 2021).
This dispatch explores Ugandans' awareness, perceptions, and experiences of climate change, as well as their responses to its impacts.
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Survey findings show that most Ugandans say they have experienced heatwaves and/or unusually severe droughts in recent years, and almost two-thirds of them have heard of climate change. Highly educated citizens and residents of Kampala are especially likely to be familiar with the concept.
Among respondents who are aware of climate change, majorities say that it is making life worse and that they know of Ugandans who have been displaced by climate change or extreme weather events during the past five years. Among those, almost three-fourths say the government has performed "fairly well" or "very well" in assisting displaced people.
About one in six climate-change-aware citizens say they have taken action to bring attention to the issue, and significant shares of all Ugandans have taken adaptive measures due to climatic changes, including majorities who changed their crop-planting techniques and food-consumption habits.
John Ssebunya Ssebunya John is a researcher at Hatchile Consult Ltd., the Afrobarometer national partner in Uganda.
