23 research outputs found
A feasibility study for improving Uganda's water to drinkable standards: lessons from Kampala
An enthusiastic global campaign on intervention in water in the Lower Income Countries (LICs) was launched by the UN at the International Conference on Water and the Environment (ICEW), in Rio de Janerio, in January of 1992. In June of the same year, in Dublin, a plan of action was devised and a commitment to the water related goals highlighted in Rio de Janerio was made. Close to fifteen years on, there is little to show by way of success in the intended countries. Over 1.1 billion people in the LICs lack safe water. The direct impact of this is a higher risk of waterborne diseases. The waterborne diseases claim 42,000 lives every week in the LICs. By any standards this is a serious depletion of the human capital stock. Looked at in light of the fact that these countries still heavily rely on labour in production, amplifies the need to preserve health. The inherent danger posed by the poor quality waterâ as can be drawn from the above statisticsâ seems to suggest that improving the quality of water would go a long way in improving and preserving societal health in the LICs. By implication this would improve the productivity of the workers. Other benefits include cost mitigation, improved investor confidence as well as increased touristsâ confidenceâ all of which are vital for LICsâ growth prospects. It begs the question of why these countries have not improved their water quality. With specific reference made to Uganda, this research is bent on answering this question. In Uganda, there is consensus among scientists that the ground and open water sources are degraded to dangerous levels. Water quality parameters like turbidity, coliform count, and colour are all above the WHO minimum specifications for potable water and are on the rise in the country. This is indicative of water quality deterioration and it heightens the risk of waterborne diseases to the users. The waterborne burden of disease in Uganda is on the rise with a high fatality rate of 440 lives every week. The need to improve water quality in the country has been acknowledged. However, attempts to address the problem have only been undertaken on a small scale, most notable of these being the PuR home water treatment vii program. There is evidence in the country that the water quality would have apparent benefits. Strong correlations have been found between improved health in HIV patients and improved water quality in the country. In the economics of health, improving societal health inherently improves workersâ performance and productivity, leading to higher growth of the economy. There is an economic imperative therefore, as to why countries like Uganda should improve their water quality. In spite of this, even the countryâs most urbanized settingâ Kampalaâ lacks potable water. This study therefore investigates why, in a time when not only the global agenda is more supportive than ever and when the countryâs water resources have been found to be risky to use, Uganda has not improved water quality. Kampala is used as the model district for this study. The district accounts for three quarters of users of treated water in the country. The problem is investigated by assessing the efficiency case of such a project (a water quality improving project) in the country; the methodology employed to this end is the Cost Benefit Analysis (CBA). The methodology compares the costs and benefits of a project, in monetary terms, in the same analysis, over its useful life. In the application of CBA one allows for the time value of money by using the discount rate to make the costs and benefits of the project occurring in different years comparable. In principle, the methodology is simple to applyâ only that issues arise in the quantification of benefits and the determination of the discount rate. Benefits of the Kampala water quality, improving project include nonâmarket values and for this reason a nonâmarket valuation technique, the Contingent Valuation Method (CVM), was employed in their quantification. The CVM technique estimates the benefits by measuring the individualsâ willingness to pay for the improved scenarioâ in this case the scenario was one with a water qualityâimproving project. The application of the CVM across many disciplines has invited a lot of criticism over the reliability of its estimates as a measure of value. A panel assembled by the North Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to investigate the reliability of the CVM resolved that as long as the CVM was well conducted, the generated results would reliably predict nonâmarket values. The Kampala CVM, for the benefitsâ quantification, was conducted with the NOAA guidelines in mind. The final value of the projectâs benefits was the WTP predicted for the viii median respondent namely Ushs 385.07/= per cubic meter of water. The discount rate was deemed to be the social opportunity cost of capital in the country, viz 12 percent, this being that rate of return foregone by investing in another sector. The projectâs costs were arrived at through liaison with water engineers and consulting past data from Ugandaâs Water suppliers. From this, the projectâs fixed costs were predicted to be Ushs 1451/= per cubic meter of water and the operation and maintenance costs predicted to be Ushs 591.7/= per cubic meter of water. The projectâs useful life was deemed to be the average life of a Ugandan, namely 52 years; this choice reflecting the belief that the benefits would last over the usersâ whole life. The results of the Kampala water qualityâimproving project indicate that the project would not be feasible. It did not matter what discount rate one employed, the projectâs operating and maintenance (OM) costs exceed the benefits. The results offer an indication as to why water quality has not been improved in Ugandaâ because the paying population is unwilling to pay for the entire cost of the project. This deduction is not to suggest that the users do not recognize the benefits of the project. The unpleasant truth is that the usersâ incomes are typically stretched so thin by other demands that a decision to make more deductions from these incomes is not an inviting one. However, there is a need to improve water quality in LICs like Uganda, as can be deduced from the analysis of the risks of not doing so and benefits of doing so. Accordingly, such projects have to be funded by mechanism that does not require the users to cover the whole cost, but only part of such a cost, with the remainder from other sources like NGOs and foreign aid
ESSAYS IN POVERTY AND CHILD NUTRITIONAL STATUS IN UGANDA
Questa tesi è composta di tre saggi collegati relativi a povertĂ , distribuzione del reddito e stato di nutrizione dei bambini in Uganda. Il primo saggio intitolato âPoverty reduction and Income Distribution Impacts of Exogenous Policy Shocks in Uganda: A Social Accounting Matrix Perspectiveâ analizza come e quali settori ed agenti economici sarebbero maggiormente colpiti da shock esogeni di politica economica che abbiano l'obiettivo della crescita economica, distribuzione del reddito e della riduzione della povertĂ . La metodologia applicata in questo studio è un modello di equilibrio economico generale - il modello del moltiplicatore della Matrice di ContabilitĂ Sociale (SAM)- basato sulla SAM Ugandese del 2002. Il secondo saggio intitolato âMeasurement of Multidimensional Child Poverty in Ugandaâ utilizza indicatori antropometrici ed un indicatore composito della ricchezza famigliare come misure del benessere dei bambini e applica l'approccio del Dual Cutoff e Counting proposto da Alkire e Foster (2007, 2011) per costruire un indice multidimensionale della povertĂ infantile in Uganda. Il terzo saggio, intitolato âThe Relationship Between Maternal Autonomy and Child Stunting
in Ugandaâ utilizza utilizza misure di autonomia femminile quali la libertĂ di movimento per visitare la famiglia ed i parenti, il potere decisionale nel fare cospicue spese familiari e giornaliere e l'atteggiamento femminile verso l'abuso fisico e verbale per analizzare la relazione tra autonomia femminile e rachitismo infantile in Uganda. I dati per i saggi 2 e 3 provengono dall'Uganda Demographic and Health Survey (UDHS) per l'anno 2006. I risultati dimostrano che il settore immobiliare, agricolo, commerciale e di trasformazione alimentare sono fondamentali in Uganda; 30% dei bambini sono multidimensionalmente poveri e una bassa autonomia materna è associata al rachitismo.The thesis consists of three interrelated essays on poverty, income
distribution and child nutritional status in Uganda. The first essay
titled âPoverty reduction and Income Distribution Impacts of Exogenous
Policy Shocks in Uganda: A Social Accounting Matrix Perspectiveâ
asks, how and which sectors and economic agents would be most
affected by exogenous policy shocks that target growth, income distribution
and poverty reduction? This is answered by a way of a general
equilibrium model - the social accounting matrix (SAM)-based multiplier
model based on the 2002 Uganda SAM. The second essay titled
âMeasurement of Multidimensional Child Poverty in Ugandaâ uses the
anthropometric indicators and a household composite wealth indicator
as measures of child well-being and applies the Dual Cutoff and Counting
approach proposed by Alkire and Foster (2007, 2011) to construct
a multidimensional child poverty index for Uganda. The third essay
titled âThe Relationship Between Maternal Autonomy and Child Stunting
in Ugandaâ uses direct evidence on measures of womenâs autonomy
namely, freedom of movement to visit families or relatives, decisionmaking
power on making large household and daily purchases, and
womenâs attitude toward verbal and physical abuse to examine the relationship
between maternal autonomy and child stunting in Uganda.
Data for essay 2 and 3 were drawn from the Uganda Demographic
and Health Survey (UDHS) for the year 2006. Results show that key
sectors in Uganda are Real estate, Agriculture, Trade and Food processing
industries; 30% of children are multidimensionally poor; and
low maternal autonomy is associated with stunting
Climate change and variability: a review of what is known and ought to be known for Uganda
Purpose - In view of the consensus that climate change is happening, scientists have documented several findings about Ugandaâs recent climate, as well as its variability and change. The purpose of this study is to review what has been documented, thus it gives an overview of what is known and seeks to explain the implications of a changing climate, hence what ought to be known to create a climate resilient environment. Design/methodology/approach - Terms such as âclimateâ, âclimate changeâ and âclimate variabilityâ were identified in recent peer-reviewed published literature to find recent climate-related literature on Uganda. Findings from independent researchers and consultants are incorporated. Data obtained from rainfall and temperature observations and from COSMO-CLM Regional Climate Model-Coordinated Regional Climate Downscaling Experiment (CCLM CORDEX) data, European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF) Interim Re-Analysis (ERA-Interim) data and Global Precipitation Climatology Centre (GPCC) have been used to generate spatial maps, seasonal outputs and projections using GrADS 2.02 and Geographic Information System (GIS) software for visualization. Findings - The climate of Uganda is tropical in nature and influenced by the Inter-Tropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ), varied relief, geo-location and inland lakes, among other factors. The impacts of severe weather and climate trends and variability have been documented substantially in the past 20-30 years. Most studies indicated a rainfall decline. Daily maximum and minimum temperatures are on the rise, while projections indicate a decrease in rainfall and increase in temperature both in the near and far future. The implication of these changes on society and the economy are discussed herein. Cost of inaction is expected to become huge, given factors like, the growing rate of the population and the slow expanding economy experienced in Uganda. Varied forms of adaptation to the impacts of climate change are being implemented, especially in the agricultural sector and at house hold level, though not systematically. Originality/value - This review of scientific research findings aims to create a better understanding of the recent climate change and variability in Uganda and provides a baseline of summarized information for use in future research and actions
Frequency of HIV status disclosure, associated factors and outcomes among HIV positive pregnant women at Mbarara Regional Referral Hospital, southwestern Uganda
Introduction: positive HIV results disclosure plays a significant role in the successful prevention and care of HIV infected patients. It provides significant social and health benefits to the individual and the community. Non-disclosure is one of the contextual factors driving the HIV epidemic in Uganda. Study objectives: to determine the frequency of HIV disclosure, associated factors and disclosure outcomes among HIV positive pregnant women at Mbarara Hospital, southwestern Uganda.
Methods: a cross-sectional study using quantitative and qualitative methods among a group of HIV positive pregnant women attending antenatal clinic was done and consecutive sampling conducted.
Results: the total participant recruitment was 103, of which 88 (85.4%) had disclosed their serostatus with 57% disclosure to their partners. About 80% had disclosed within less than 2 months of testing HIV positive. Reasons for disclosure included their partners having disclosed to them (27.3%), caring partners (27.3%) and encouragement by health workers (25.0%). Following disclosure, 74%) were comforted and 6.8% were verbally abused. Reasons for non-disclosure were fear of abandonment (33.3%), being beaten (33.3%) and loss of financial and emotional support (13.3%). The factors associated with disclosure were age 26-35 years (OR 3.9, 95% CI 1.03-15.16), primary education (OR 3.53, 95%CI 1.10-11.307) and urban dwelling (OR 4.22, 95% CI 1.27-14.01).
Conclusion: participants disclosed mainly to their partners and were comforted and many of them were encouraged by the health workers. There is need to optimize disclosure merits to enable increased participation in treatment and support programs
Climatic trends at Namulonge in Uganda : 1947-2009
This paper investigates rainfall and temperature trends at Namulonge parish, in Wakiso district of Uganda using
statistical techniques. Daily-observed temperature and rainfall records were aggregated into monthly means over
a period of more than 55 years. These records were analyzed in an effort to identify both seasonal trends and
shifts in climate. This was achieved by using non- parametric (Mann-Kendall) and parametric (linear regression)
techniques. The analysis shows that total rainfall during the March-May season decreased, while maximum
temperatures were increasing during the months between April and September, with both trends statistically
significant at 5% confidence level. The Mann-Kendall test revealed that the number of wet days reduced
significantly. Temperatures were found to be warmer and rainfall higher in the first climate normal compared to
the recent 30 years. Results revealed that April was the only month with a statistically significant rainfall trend.http:/www.ccsenet.org/jggam201
Variability properties of daily and monthly observed near-surface temperatures in Uganda : 1960-2008
Variability and trends in daily and monthly near-surface temperatures in Uganda, collected over the period
1960â2008 (49 years), are analysed. For this purpose, daily observational maximum and minimum temperature records
from eight selected stations in Uganda were acquired from the Uganda Meteorological Department (UMD). Data collected
by the UMD are quality controlled through a rigorous process before being archived. The data received were tested for
homogeneity, gaps were filled and correlation analyses were used for validation of area average series. Statistical techniques
(e.g. MannâKendall and Linear Regression) were employed to analyse temperature variability and to obtain temperature
trends. Findings indicate that intra-annual temperature shows reduced variability over recent decades, but which is not
statistically significant. Results also demonstrated that maximum temperatures are more variable compared to minimum
temperatures in Uganda. An increasing trend in hot days, hot nights, warm nights and warm spells were also detected. At
seven of the stations, annual temperature range and diurnal temperature range trends were found to be negative. The finding
that intra-annual and intra-monthly variance is declining suggests that fewer anomalously extreme temperature episodes
occur. The gap between maximum and minimum extremes is reducing, which supports the observation that minimum
temperatures are on the increase.http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/10.1002/(ISSN)1097-0088hb201
Exploring the influence of climate change and capital assets on livelihood formations in central region of Uganda
Current research provides less understanding of how climate change affects the livelihood process at a household level. This study explores householdâs perceptions of climate change and its implications on livelihood formation process using empirical data from Uganda. Climatic data, household surveys and key-informant interviews from Wakiso and Gomba districts served as data sources for the study analysis. Majority of the respondents observed climate changes in the last 10â20 years and perceived them to have affected their capital assets in the process of forming livelihoods. As a result, householdsâ livelihoods have diversified and are pursuing livelihood strategies for sustenance. The study underlines the need to access credit conditioned to climate change resilience, access to improved varieties of crops, availing extension services and targeted resources allocations. Incorporating climate change into the planning process at a local level and associated local institutions in order to improve livelihood formation processes of households is recommended.UNISA postdoctoral fellowshiphttps://www.springer.com/journal/106682022-01-19hj2021Geography, Geoinformatics and Meteorolog
Analysis of mid-twentieth century rainfall trends and variability over southwestern Uganda
A methodology has been applied to investigate
the spatial variability and trends existent in a mid-twentieth
century climatic time series (for the period 1943â1977)
recorded by 58 climatic stations in the AlbertâVictoria water
management area in Uganda. Data were subjected to quality
checks before further processing. In the present work, temporal
trends were analyzed using MannâKendall and linear
regression methods. Heterogeneity of monthly rainfall was
investigated using the precipitation concentration index
(PCI). Results revealed that 53 % of stations have positive
trends where 25 % are statistically significant and 45 % of
stations have negative trends with 23 % being statistically
significant. Very strong trends at 99 % significance level
were revealed at 12 stations. Positive trends in January,
February, and November at 40 stations were observed. The
highest rainfall was recorded in April, while January, June,
and July had the lowest rainfall. Spatial analysis results
showed that stations close to Lake Victoria recorded high
amounts of rainfall. Average annual coefficient of variability
was 19 %, signifying low variability. Rainfall distribution is
bimodal with maximums experienced in MarchâAprilâMay
and SeptemberâOctoberâNovember seasons of the year.
Analysis also revealed that PCI values showed a moderate
to seasonal rainfall distribution. Spectral analysis of the time components reveals the existence of a major period around
3, 6, and 10 years. The 6- and 10-year period is a characteristic
of SeptemberâOctoberâNovember, MarchâAprilâ
May, and annual time series.http://link.springer.com/journal/704hb201
Assessing industrial development influence on land use/cover drivers and change detection for West Bank East London, South Africa
South Africaâs nationwide socio-economic industrial development zone drive focuses on alleviating of the apartheid social ills legacy. To ensure sustainable industrial ecological development, land-cover monitoring is needed though limited attention has been accorded. This study, aimed at assessing the influence of East London Industrial Development Zone (ELIDZ) on land-use/land-cover (LULC) drivers and detecting LULC changes for 15 years over the West Bank East London. An integration of remote sensing with qualitative approaches was adopted to provide robust temporal and spatial LULC change analysis. Object-based classification was performed on the satellite images for 1998, 2007 and 2013. Normalised Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) and Normalised Difference Built-up Index (NDBI) complemented and validated observed land cover changes. The study reveals that industrial development has been a key driver for land-use changes in West Bank. The classification indicated that vegetation (5.97%) and bare land (-9.06%) classes had the highest percentage increase and decrease respectively. Water (0.02%) and bare land (-0.6%) classes had the lowest annual rate of change. Built-up and bare land classes varied considerably. An overall land-cover classification mean accuracy assessment of 97.24% and a mean Kappa coefficient of 0.95 were attained for the entire study period. This study offers the value of integrated methods in monitoring land-cover change to enhance informed decision-making especially in rapidly changing landscapes for conservation purposes.This manuscript stems from the corresponding authorsâ postgraduate study and who performed most of the experiments.The University of Pretoria and the United State Geological Survey (USCS).http://www.ripublication.comam2019Geography, Geoinformatics and Meteorolog