Browsing by Author "Mugagga, F."

Now showing 1 - 3 of 3
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    Doing things their way? Food, farming and health in two Ugandan cities
    (Cities & Health, 2017) Mackay, H.; Mugagga, F.; Kakooza, L.; Chiwona-Karltun, L.
    This paper presents new data on urban households’ agriculture, food environments and noncommunicable disease (obesity, diabetes, hypertension) in two intermediate-sized Ugandan cities (Mbale and Mbarara). Nutrition transition theory suggests that fast-foods, eating out and supermarket shopping, together with sedentary urban lifestyles and less agricultural activity, are drivers of growing non-communicable disease burden. We explore these claims using statistics from a 2015 socio-economic and anthropometric survey of 1995 households. Results indicate that these cities are already experiencing non-communicable diseases, despite a lack of advanced food system and nutritional transitions. Surveyed households generally had low or medium dietary diversity, and a diet pattern and an agricultural practice primarily geared towards staple foods. Food transfers (mainly staples) from rural relatives were common, particularly for agricultural households. These farming households also had better income status than nonfarming households. Experience of food insecurity was relatively common. Nevertheless, high prevalence and strongly gendered patterns of obesity were identified. In contrast to some theorising of the farming practice of urban-based households, there was little evidence that such agriculture was fuelled by poverty, vulnerability or migrant status. Findings also imply that there are other drivers of epidemiologic change in these cities than those suggested by nutrition transition theory.
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    The Effect of Land Use on Carbon Stocks and Implications for Climate Variability on the Slopes of Mount Elgon, Eastern Uganda
    (International Journal of Regional Development, 2017) Mugagga, F.; Nagasha, B.; Barasa, B.; Buyinza, M.
    We investigated the impact of land use change on carbon stocks and its implications to climate variability in Mountain environments. Remotely sensed biophysical data was used to determine the extent of land use change over the last two decades. Land uses were stratified thus; forest under restoration, woodlots/plantations, agricultural land, regenerating forest and intact forest. Carbon in above and below ground biomass was measured using the allometric equations, whilst soil samples were analyzed for total carbon by the dry combustion method. The differences in carbon stocks in various land uses were analyzed using Analysis of variance (ANOVA). Top soil layers (0-10cm) were found to store more carbon than the deeper ones. Furthermore, intact forest stored more soil organic carbon (> 45t/ha) compared to other land uses with the least in land under agriculture (about 1.5 t/ha). The decimation of land uses with high carbon stocks was noted to reduce the potential of Mt. Elgon as a carbon sink. This therefore calls for the scaling out and up of forest restoration programmes in and around mountain environments, whose success will depend on the active participation of all stakeholders including, Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA), local communities, politicians and leaders.
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    Land use changes on the slopes of Mount Elgon and the implications for the occurrence of landslides
    (Catena, 2012) Mugagga, F.; Kakembo, V.; Buyinza, M.
    A reconstruction of land use changes and the implications thereof for landslide occurrence on critical slopes of Mount Elgon in Eastern Uganda were undertaken. Aerial photographs taken in 1960 formed the benchmark for the analysis of respective land use changes between 1995 and 2006, using 30 m Landsat TM and 20 m SPOT MS images. Landslide sites were mapped using a MobileMapper, and terrain parameters were derived using a 15 m Digital Elevation Model. A supervised classification approach was employed to generate land-cover maps, from which the areas of three land-cover classes (agricultural fields, woodlands and forests) were calculated. A post-classification comparison change-detection technique revealed different trends in land-cover change between the periods 1960–1995 and 1995–2006. Whereas there were minimal land use changes between 1960 and 1995, the period 1995–2006 marked a considerable loss of woodlands and forest cover, particularly on steep concave slopes (36°–58°) of the National Park. The encroachment onto the critical slopes was noted to have induced a series of shallow and deep landslides in the area. All the mapped landslides were noted to lie on steep concave slopes of a northerly orientation, which had been opened up for cultivation. Deforestation and cultivation alter the soil hydrological conditions on steep concave slopes, rendering them susceptible to saturation. This may trigger debris flows during rainfall events. There is a need to restore forest cover on the fragile steep slopes and restrain local communities from opening up new areas for cultivation on critical slopes, particularly within the protected area.