Uganda

Country profile

Uganda is an equatorial country with a warm, tropical climate. The primary hazards that Ugandans face vary by region, but include floods (in the centre and the east, and along its major rivers), drought (especially in the north-east and centre), landslides and mudslides (along the Kenyan border in the east), epidemics, and earthquakes (along the western border).

Hundreds of thousands of people are also at risk from volcanic eruptions in the southwest, though there have been no eruptions in recent years and data on potential future eruptions is lacking. On average, 200,000 Ugandans are affected by disasters every year.

Uganda is a landlocked, low-income country, and the vast majority of people (approximately 84 per cent) live in rural areas. Approximately 20 per cent of the population lives below the poverty line. Upwards of 80 per cent are dependent on rain-fed agriculture, and the agricultural sector produces 25 per cent of Uganda’s gross domestic product.

Although food insecurity is not a chronic problem in most areas - 89 per cent of the population is considered food secure - drought and floods periodically threaten agricultural production, and hence food security. The impacts of drought are exacerbated by desertification and environmental degradation. Floods, such as those experienced in 2007, lead to fatalities and cause major damage to crops and infrastructure (such as schools).