Climate change takes toll on Lango farmers as crop wither in gardens

ALEBTONG, September 22, 2026 — Simon Eluk, a resident of Amwak village in Omoro Subcounty, Alebtong district, planted maize on a two-acre garden hoping to harvest two tonnes by December. However, the farmer is slowly losing hope after the area went for a month without rain.

Eluk said he bought two kilogrammes of maize seed at Shs 48,000 and planted it, but the crop has been badly affected by prolonged drought, leaving him uncertain about harvesting anything since most of the plants have withered.

He said this was his second attempt after failing to harvest during the first planting season and that he was now considering giving up.

“I expected to harvest 2,000kg, then sell it and earn Shs 2.6 million, but now there is no rain and the crop will fail me again,” he said.

James Opio, another resident, said he planted beans and soya during the first season, but the crops failed.

“The only hope I had was this second season, but it has done me a disservice. All my maize crop is destroyed and there is nothing left apart from waiting for whatever happens,” he said.

Since the second planting season began, rainfall has been unstable, with farmers in several areas of the Lango Sub-region reporting poor performance of crops such as maize.

The situation has prompted the Parliamentary Committee on Climate Change to assess the impact of unpredictable weather patterns in the Lango Sub-region.

The committee, headed by Bunya County West MP Aggrey Henry Bagiire, cited crop failure, infrastructure damage, environmental degradation and destruction of water sources as major threats to livelihoods.

The committee conducted an oversight visit to Otuke, Lira, Dokolo, Alebtong, Apac and Amolatar districts, all in Lango Subregion, to assess the effects of climate change and the response by local governments.

The legislators noted that climate-related challenges are increasingly affecting households, agriculture, health, trade and infrastructure.

Bagiire commended the government for its efforts to address climate change and local governments for implementing measures to mitigate its effects.

However, he said more needed to be done to protect communities from the growing impact of extreme weather events.

In Lira district, Bagiire said the committee found that River Aswa in Erute North had been severely degraded by sand mining for construction, contributing to flooding and soil erosion.

In Apac district, he said Aganga Health Centre III in Ibuje Subcounty had been submerged, while the road connecting the facility had been cut off.

“It has become a swamp and people are facing challenges in accessing services,” Bagiire told journalists after the meeting in Lira.

He said climate change was negatively affecting trade, commerce, agriculture, infrastructure, health and livelihoods, urging district authorities to double their efforts to address the problem.

“Climate change has caused dry spells and sometimes heavy rainfall, which results in flooding. Prolonged drought and flooding are very bad because they affect our daily livelihoods,” he said.

The Alebtong District Environment Officer, Walter Ocen, called for increased climate change financing for local governments, including a dedicated conditional grant for environmental and climate management.

He also urged the government to provide adequate resources for wetland demarcation, restoration and protection.

Ocen said the district receives only Shs 72 million for the environment sector, which he described as inadequate to implement the numerous activities required to combat climate change.

https://thecooperator.news/how-the-shs-15-trillion-plan-will-transform-drought-hit-karamoja/

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