63
ing of soldiers during and after the Second World War. With the establishment of the
Kibimba Rice Scheme in 1966 and Doho Rice Scheme in 1976, smallholder rice
production, mainly in the eastern and northern parts of the country, was also spontaneously twigged but with emphasis on lowland rice varieties. It was only in the
late 1980s that production rapidly increased to the current figure of nearly 95,000 ha.
The country’s total annual rice production now stands at 140,000 metric tons of
milled rice, representing about 70% of the current national rice demand estimated at
190,000–200,000 metric tons. Oryokot et al. (2004) report that by 2004, Uganda’s
rice imports stood at about 45,000 metric tons. The very rapid increase in rice production in the country is mainly attributed to the release of improved rice varieties
(especially the NERICA rice), conducive government policy, increase in demand
and consumption of rice particularly among the urban and peri-urban populations,
and current higher rate of returns on investment in rice production of 1.8 compared
to such cereals as maize with a rate of return on investment of only 1.2 (NAADS 2004).
Although Uganda has tremendous potentials in terms of its good soils, favorable
climate, two growing seasons, political support, and farmers’ enthusiasm for
increasing its rice production to self-sufficiency, the crop is still relatively new in the
country’s farming systems. Most of the rice in Uganda today is grown in the western
and eastern parts of the country, with the eastern part producing the bulk of the rice
(NAADS 2004). It has become an important food security and income-generating
crop among the rural poor for alleviating poverty. This has further been supported
by the rice-milling sub-sector, an important agro-processing development that is
contributing largely to the efforts to address unemployment challenges. Efforts to
increase rice production in Uganda to cater for the increasing demand are being
emphasized.
1.3 Problem Statement and Rationale for the Study
Despite the current efforts to promote rice production in the country, there are concerns that the efforts may be worthless due to various challenges such as increasing
population pressure, the diversion of agricultural land for bio-fuels and other human
needs, unreliable traditional weather patterns as a result of climate change, and the
desire by many rice-growing nations to build up buffer stocks (Ahmad 2012).
Besides, the unforeseen changes associated with global warming, high temperatures, and unpredictable rainfall are expected to impact greatly on rice production
(Ramírez and Kallarackal 2015). It is also worth noting that many scholars have
already stated that climate change will lead to increasing levels of drought if
temperatures continue to rise; and this will lead to diseases, starvation, landslides,
rising sea levels, and floods, among others.
Amidst these foreseen challenges, there is still a belief that traditional coping and
adaptation mechanisms against natural disasters can still be crucial for survival and
development of marginalized communities, especially where the existing disaster
management and development programs are not accessible or have failed to protect
them against recurring floods and increasing poverty.
Gendered Adaptation and Coping Mechanisms to Climate Variability in Eastern…
ing of soldiers during and after the Second World War. With the establishment of the
Kibimba Rice Scheme in 1966 and Doho Rice Scheme in 1976, smallholder rice
production, mainly in the eastern and northern parts of the country, was also spontaneously twigged but with emphasis on lowland rice varieties. It was only in the
late 1980s that production rapidly increased to the current figure of nearly 95,000 ha.
The country’s total annual rice production now stands at 140,000 metric tons of
milled rice, representing about 70% of the current national rice demand estimated at
190,000–200,000 metric tons. Oryokot et al. (2004) report that by 2004, Uganda’s
rice imports stood at about 45,000 metric tons. The very rapid increase in rice production in the country is mainly attributed to the release of improved rice varieties
(especially the NERICA rice), conducive government policy, increase in demand
and consumption of rice particularly among the urban and peri-urban populations,
and current higher rate of returns on investment in rice production of 1.8 compared
to such cereals as maize with a rate of return on investment of only 1.2 (NAADS 2004).
Although Uganda has tremendous potentials in terms of its good soils, favorable
climate, two growing seasons, political support, and farmers’ enthusiasm for
increasing its rice production to self-sufficiency, the crop is still relatively new in the
country’s farming systems. Most of the rice in Uganda today is grown in the western
and eastern parts of the country, with the eastern part producing the bulk of the rice
(NAADS 2004). It has become an important food security and income-generating
crop among the rural poor for alleviating poverty. This has further been supported
by the rice-milling sub-sector, an important agro-processing development that is
contributing largely to the efforts to address unemployment challenges. Efforts to
increase rice production in Uganda to cater for the increasing demand are being
emphasized.
1.3 Problem Statement and Rationale for the Study
Despite the current efforts to promote rice production in the country, there are concerns that the efforts may be worthless due to various challenges such as increasing
population pressure, the diversion of agricultural land for bio-fuels and other human
needs, unreliable traditional weather patterns as a result of climate change, and the
desire by many rice-growing nations to build up buffer stocks (Ahmad 2012).
Besides, the unforeseen changes associated with global warming, high temperatures, and unpredictable rainfall are expected to impact greatly on rice production
(Ramírez and Kallarackal 2015). It is also worth noting that many scholars have
already stated that climate change will lead to increasing levels of drought if
temperatures continue to rise; and this will lead to diseases, starvation, landslides,
rising sea levels, and floods, among others.
Amidst these foreseen challenges, there is still a belief that traditional coping and
adaptation mechanisms against natural disasters can still be crucial for survival and
development of marginalized communities, especially where the existing disaster
management and development programs are not accessible or have failed to protect
them against recurring floods and increasing poverty.
Gendered Adaptation and Coping Mechanisms to Climate Variability in Eastern…