Patterns and Perceptions of Climate Change in a Biodiversity Conservation Hotspot

Quantifying local people's perceptions to climate change, and their assessments of which changes matter, is fundamental to addressing the dual challenge of land conservation and poverty alleviation in densely populated tropical regions To develop appropriate policies and responses, it will be important not only to anticipate the nature of expected changes, but also how they are perceived, interpreted and adapted to by local residents. The Albertine Rift region in East Africa is one of the world's most threatened biodiversity hotspots due to dense smallholder agriculture, high levels of land and resource pressures, and habitat loss and conversion. Results of three separate household surveys conducted in the vicinity of Kibale National Park during the late 2000s indicate that farmers are concerned with variable precipitation. Many survey respondents reported that conditions are drier and rainfall timing is becoming less predictable. Analysis of daily rainfall data for the climate normal period 1981 to 2010 indicates that total rainfall both within and across seasons has not changed significantly, although the timing and transitions of seasons has been highly variable. Results of rainfall data analysis also indicate significant changes in the intra-seasonal rainfall distribution, including longer dry periods within rainy seasons, which may contribute to the perceived decrease in rainfall and can compromise food security. Our results highlight the need for fine-scale climate information to assist agro-ecological communities in developing effective adaptive management

Do the rights of poor women really matter? Globalization and the protection of reproductive health rights in Uganda

In Uganda, there has been some progress in the advancement of women's status through various policy strategies. The policy framework identifies the protection of reproductive health rights as one of government's priorities. Employing library and desk research, the article critically examines the policy framework within which poor women's reproductive health rights are protected. This article argues that the policy framework is geared more towards protection of the interests of globalization than reproductive health rights of poor women. Privatization of health care services ignores the fact that because of their poverty, poor women cannot afford such services. Private sector led growth, whether in health or agriculture has a deleterious impact on poor women's reproductive health rights. Reproductive health policies that exalt contraception over critical areas such as emergency obstetric care, nutritional and occupational health are bound to fail. Any policies designed to protect the reproductive health rights of poor women must take into account their interests, realities and experiences. This can be achieved by involving women in the design, implementation and evaluation of policies intended for their benefit. Short of this, poor women will continue to be mere spectators of the so-called benefits of the globalization process. East African Journal of Peace and Human rights Vol. 13 (1) 2007: pp. 81-10

Advancing sexual and reproductive health and rights of adolescents in Africa: The role of the courts

Across the world, adolescents encounter various challenges that may implicate the enjoyment of their sexual and reproductive health and rights. The situation of adolescents in Africa is aggravated by high poverty levels and a high disease burden in the region. Some of the challenges facing adolescents in Africa include high incidence of child marriage, unwanted pregnancy, unsafe abortion, and sexually transmitted infections, including HIV and maternal mortality. It is estimated that 1 in 3 girls is married before attaining 18 (UNFPA, Marrying too young: end child marriage. UN Population Fund, 2012), while an estimated 16 million adolescent girls aged 15–19 (most of them in poor regions, including Africa) give birth yearly. Also, about 31% of young women aged 20–24 in least developed countries gave birth before age 18 between 2000 and 2009 (UNICEF et al., Violence against Children in Tanzania: Findings from a National Survey 2009. UN Children’s Fund, US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences, 2011). An in-depth study of four sub-Saharan African countries found that 60% or more of adolescent men and women did not know how to prevent pregnancy and one-third or more did not know of a source for contraceptives (Guttmacher Institute and IPPF, Facts on the sexual and reproductive health of adolescent women in the developing world. Allan Guttmacher Institute and International Planned Parenthood Federation, 2010). The majority of about 300,000 women and girls that die annually (800 deaths per day) due to complications arising from childbirth are from Africa (UNFPA 2011)