Effect of drought early warning system on household food security in Karamoja subregion, Uganda

Abstract Background Drought is regarded as a leading cause of food insecurity affecting about 220 million people in sub-Saharan Africa. Drought early warning systems (DEWSs) have the potential to strengthen capacity of communities in managing and reducing drought effects through building preparedness and providing coping strategies. The Karamoja subregion is the only region with a functional DEWS in Uganda. The subregion suffers from effects of recurrent episodes of drought with negative impacts on food security. Despite having DEWS in place, the subregion remains the most food insecure in the country. The extent to which DEWS has contributed to household food security in the subregion remains unclear. This study determined the effect of DEWS on agro-pastoral household food security in the subregion. The study was conducted in Nakapiripirit and Kotido districts of the Karamoja. A cross-sectional survey was conducted among 305 participating and non-participating households in DEWS. The effect of participating in DEWS on food security was analyzed using the generalized linear model. The level of food security and nutrition were measured using the household food insecurity access score and household dietary diversity score (HDDS), respectively. Results Findings showed that all respondents had experienced food insecurity during the course of the year. Drought was indicated as the main cause of food insecurity in the households. Participation in DEWS significantly (p < 0.01) reduced the threat of food insecurity by 23.7% and increased the level of household nutrition by 30%. Better nutrition was realized in DEWS participating households (HDDS = 9.0) compared to non-participating households (HDDS = 6.6). Conclusion Owing to intermittent drought events in the Karamoja subregion, DEWS contributes to household food security and nutrition by providing households with information on timely planting, crop diversification, farm equipment, drought management and drought-tolerant crop varieties. There is need for DEWS practitioners to focus on information dissemination, provision of drought-tolerant crops and provision of training opportunities to communities for increased production in semi-arid areas

Agro-pastoral choice of coping strategies and response to drought in the semi-arid areas of Uganda

Drought episodes have been on the increase in the semi- arid areas of Uganda with harmful effects like crop failure, and human and livestock mortality, among others. There are barely any studies that have examined why agro- pastoral communities take specific actions in coping with drought. This study examined the factors influencing the choice of coping strategies to drought and the reasons for response and nonresponse. The study was conducted in the semi-arid Karamoja sub-region of Uganda using a crosssectional household survey on 305 households. A multinomial logistic model was used to analyze the factors that determine the choice of coping strategy by households against drought events. The results indicate that coping was positively influenced by distance to the nearest water source, access to drought information and training on drought management. Livelihood support, amount of arable land owned and frequency of receiving information from Drought Early Warning Systems (DEWS) had a positive significant effect on response. To enhance response capabilities, there is need to improve livelihoods and frequent dissemination of information on impending drought