Browsing by Author "Naigaga, Shamim"

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    Building Capacity for Climate Change Mitigation and Adaptation Through Mainstreaming Climate Change in Curricula of Tertiary Training Institutions in Africa
    (Springer, Cham, 2017) Efitre, Jackson; Natugonza, Vianny; Musinguzi, Laban; Olokotum, Mark; Naigaga, Shamim; Ogutu-Ohwayo, Richard
    Climate variability and change, which intensified since 1970s, are threatening natural resources and livelihoods in Sub-Saharan Africa where people depend on climate sensitive natural resources, such as agriculture and fisheries, but have limited capacity to adapt. Increasing human and institutional capacity to address threats posed by climate change to natural resources and livelihoods requires building capacity to generate and disseminate information and knowledge on climate change, its impacts, adaptation and mitigation through research, education and raising awareness by tertiary training institutions. Most tertiary training institutions in Africa have curricula covering basic and applied natural resources management but most of them do not include climate change. This paper presents a training curriculum and manual that was developed to fill this gap. The purpose of the paper is to provide in-depth information on how Climate Change can be integrated into the fisheries and aquaculture curricula of tertiary training institutions. It also provides students, scientists, practitioners, and policy makers with an understanding of key concepts and approaches to climate change mitigation measures, adaptation strategies, and policies. The aim is to mainstream climate change in fisheries training. The specific objectives are to facilitate introduction of climate change in fisheries training in Uganda that can be developed further and adopted by other countries in Africa and elsewhere; Equip students with scientific and technical capacity to anticipate and evaluate changes in climate and its influence, communicate information to stakeholders, design, and test adaptation strategies and mitigation measures; and Increase human resource capacity to address climate change issues through reviewing and strengthening of the national education system. The curriculum consists of seven modules covering: Major threats to natural resources; Introduction to climate change; Implications of climate change on aquatic productivity processes and fisheries; Implications of climate change on aquaculture; Livelihoods, impacts, adaptation and mitigation; Aquatic ecosystem modeling in relation to climate change; Principles, policies, regulations and institutions required to address impacts of climate change. The modules will be delivered through lectures, discussions, case studies and field visits. It is recommended that the curriculum and manual be incorporated into training programs of tertiary training institutions to build the capacity required to address climate change challenges particularly for fisheries in Africa.
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    Fishers’ perceptions of climate change, impacts on their livelihoods and adaptation strategies in environmental change hotspots: a case of Lake Wamala, Uganda
    (Environment, Development and Sustainability, 2016) Musinguzi, Laban; Efitre, Jackson; Odongkara, Konstantine; Ogutu-Ohwayo, Richard; Muyodi, Fredrick; Natugonza, Vianny; Olokotum, Mark; Namboowa, Sharon; Naigaga, Shamim
    Fisheries resources support livelihoods of fishing communities but are threatened by over-exploitation, habitat degradation, pollution, invasive species and climate change. Unlike the other threats, climate change has received limited consideration and reducing its risks requires appropriate adaptation strategies. This study used quantitative and qualitative methods to generate knowledge on fishers’ perceptions of climate change, changes in climate variables and their impacts on livelihoods, adaptation strategies, constraints to adaptation and required interventions to promote adaptation strategies that would enable fishers to build resilience to sustain their livelihoods. We found that fishers were aware of changes in climate conditions manifested by unpredictable seasons, floods and droughts. Fishing remained the main livelihood activity. However, the dominance of fishes had changed from Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus L.) to the African catfish (Clarias gariepinus Burchell). Floods and droughts were associated with damage to gears, boats, landing sites and changes in fish catches and sizes, income from fishing and fish consumption. The fishers adapted by increasing time on fishing grounds and changing target species and fishing gear among other things. Some innovative fishers diversified to high-value crops and livestock. This increased their income beyond what was solely earned from fishing which provided an incentive for some of them to quit fishing. Livelihood diversification was enhanced by use of communications technology, membership of social groups, increasing fishing days and fishing experience.
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    Implications of climate variability and change for African lake ecosystems, fisheries productivity, and livelihoods
    (Journal of Great Lakes Research, 2016) Natugonza, Vianny; Musinguzi, Laban; Olokotum, Mark; Naigaga, Shamim; Ogutu-Ohwayo, Richard
    Inland fisheries are important for nutrition, employment, and income, but climate variability and change are adding to other stressors, such as overexploitation, pollution, habitat degradation, and invasive species, to threaten their productivity as well as livelihoods of fisheries-dependent communities. Understanding the whole socio-ecological system to enable communities to adapt and build resilience is therefore vital. Here, we present results froma review of the responses of African lakes, fisheries productivity, and livelihoods to climate variability and change, and provide suggestions on required policy interventions to promote adaptation and build resilience. Changes in climate variables, especially temperature, wind speed, and rainfall have contributed to changes in lake water levels, loading, and recycling of nutrients. In somelakes, such disruptions in physical and chemical conditions have triggered changes in water quality, algae and invertebrate productivity, life history of fish, and contributed to shifts in fish community composition, proliferation of invasive aquatic weeds, and changes in parasite–vector–host interactions. Fish yield has either increased or decreased depending on climatic events,with the latter negatively affecting livelihoods, and forcing affected communities to adapt. Because adaptation strategies are location specific, and influenced by local conditions, many adaptation strategies have been unguided and have negatively affected fisheries. The responses of fisheries to climate change vary among lakes of different morphometric characteristics. There is need for consistent data to examine the direction and consequences of climate variability and change on fisheries and livelihoods of specific aquatic systems, and promote location specific adaptation and mitigation measures.
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    New Approaches to Inform, Motivate, and Advance Small and Mediums-scale Fish Farmers: Building Industry Capacity Through Cell Phone Networks, Training, and Market Participation
    (2National Fisheries Resources Research Institute, 2013) Molnar, Joseph J.; Matuha, Moureen; Boyd, Claude; Terhune, Jeff; Veverica, Karen; Walakira, John; Naigaga, Shamim; Hyuha, Theodora; Karuhanga, Monica
    Mobile phones can improve aquaculture productivity by increasing access to technical guidance, extension services, product assembly, input coordination, and price discovery for small- and mediumscale fish farmers. Data were obtained in five focused group interviews held across Uganda. The findings indicate that the use of mobile phones is common among fish farmers in Uganda. Majority of the farmers reported that their mobile phones were primarily used for purposes that improve social development and livelihoods. Many fish farmers report using mobile phones to acquire technical guidance, contact family members, and communicate with those who provide agricultural inputs and market information, which results into increased income. The study also highlighted that access to agricultural information has been widespread, but support is needed for disseminating information on market prices and fish production. At present, most farmers depend on the word of mouth to get information from extension officers and intermediary fish farmers, who are not always available when needed. Farmers prioritized information on pond management, feed broodstock and water quality management, stocking and harvesting, and, most importantly, market prices. Although farmers were also interested in other categories of information, such as fish diseases, seed variety, fish species to be cultured, etc., only a small sample prioritized them.
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    The responses of Nile tilapia Oreochromis niloticus (Linnaeus, 1758) in Lake Wamala (Uganda) to changing climatic conditions
    (Lakes & Reservoirs: Research & Management, 2015) Vianny, Natugonza; Ogutu-Ohwayo, Richard; Efitre, Jackson; Muyodi, Fredrick; Mbabazi, Dismas; Olokotum, Mark; Musinguzi, Laban; Naigaga, Shamim; Namboowa, Sharon
    Changes in the catches of Nile tilapia, Oreochromis niloticus (Linnaeus, 1758), in Lake Wamala (Uganda) have been observed since its introduction. The factors contributing to these changes, however, are not well understood. This study examined changes in species composition, size structure, size at first maturity, length–weight relationship and condition factor of Nile tilapia in Lake Wamala, in relation to changes in temperature, rainfall and lake depth, to provide a better understanding of the possible role of changing climatic conditions. There was an increase in the minimum, maximum and average temperatures since 1980, but only the minimum (0.021 °C year 1) and average temperatures (0.018 °C year 1) exhibited a significant trend (P < 0.05). Rainfall increased by 8.25 mm year 1 since 1950 and accounted for 79.5% of the water input into the lake during the period 2011–2013, while evaporation accounted for 86.2% of the water loss from the lake. The lake depth was above 4 m during the years when the rainfall exceeded the average of 1180 mm, except after 2000. The contribution of Nile tilapia to total fish catch and catch per unit effort (CPUE) increased with rainfall and lake depth up to the year 2000, after which they decreased, despite an increased rainfall level. The lake depth was positively correlated with the average total length and length at 50% maturity (r = 0.991 and 0.726, respectively), while the slopes of the length–weight relationships differed significantly between high and low lake depths [t(6) = 3.225, P < 0.05]. Nile tilapia shifted from an algal-dominated diet during the wet season to include more insects during the dry season. The results of this study indicate Nile tilapia in Lake Wamala displays a typical r-selected reproductive strategy, by growing to a small size, maturing faster and feeding on different food types, in order to survive high mortality rates under unfavourable conditions attributable to higher temperatures, low rainfall and low lake water levels.
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    Water, Water Quality, and Pond Bottom Soil Management in Ugandan Aquaculture
    (National Fisheries Resources Research Institute (NaFIRRI), 2013) Naigaga, Shamim; Boyd, Claude E.; Molnar, Joseph J.; Walakira, John
    Fisheries production from lakes and other natural waters in Uganda are declining and expansion of the aquaculture sector is needed to increase aquatic protein for human consumption. The present study was conducted to improve understanding of limitations imposed on aquaculture by the environmental factors of climate, soils, and water quality in Uganda. Although not optimum, the temperature regime in Uganda is conducive to year-around aquaculture in most areas. Rainfall is adequate to maintain water levels in ponds throughout the year in the Western, Eastern, and Central regions. In the Northern region, it would be necessary to store water in farm reservoirs to use for maintaining water levels during the driest months. There is a tendency towards drought in Uganda, and severe droughts could cause water shortages for aquaculture. Water quality was generally suitable in all four regions for fish production. The main limitation would be the need to lime ponds in some areas in all regions. Unfortunately, the liming materials available in the country are of poor quality, and the agricultural limestone currently used by fish farmers is particularly low in quality. There is an urgent need to find better sources of liming materials and begin an effort to promote liming in Ugandan aquaculture. The main limitations of soils for pond sites were coarse soil texture, steep terrain in some areas, and a widespread problem of low acidity. Of course, as in any country, each prospective pond site must be examined for its suitability. There also is cage culture in several lakes in Uganda; Lake Victoria and Lake Albert appear to be the best lakes in which to consider expansion of cage culture operations. In summary, there does not appear to be insurmountable environmental restrains to expanding aquaculture production in Uganda. The major issues relate to selecting good sites for ponds and to finding a source of good quality liming material.