Publications

Climate variability increasingly threatens rice production in Uganda, yet the perspectives of smallholder farmers and local institutions remain underrepresented in adaptation research. Understanding how these actors perceive and respond to climate risks is vital for designing context-specific resilience strategies. This study explores the experiences of farmers and District Agricultural Officers (DAOs) in Uganda’s major rice-producing districts Butaleja, Bugiri, Lira, and Nwoya. A qualitative design combining focus group discussions (FGDs) and key informant interviews (KIIs) examined experiential knowledge, institutional responses, and adaptation gaps across three rice production systems. Data were collected between September and November 2025 through five FGDs (50 participants) and four KIIs with DAOs. Thematic analysis following Braun and Clarke’s framework identified recurring patterns and contextual contrasts. Farmers demonstrated strong awareness of climate risks delayed rainfall, floods, prolonged droughts, and pest outbreaks but limited resources constrained adaptation. Institutional perspectives confirmed these challenges: adaptation programs such as seed multiplication, farmer training, and irrigation remain hindered by weak extension coverage, limited financing, and fragmented coordination. Flooding in Butaleja’s Doho scheme and droughts in Nwoya illustrate localized vulnerabilities despite initiatives like ACDP and PRELNOR. Resilience in Uganda’s rice systems depends on the synergy between farmer innovation, institutional capacity, and infrastructure. Strengthening district-level coordination, expanding irrigation and climate-information services, and revitalizing farmer cooperatives could transform coping into sustained adaptation, advancing Uganda’s Climate-Smart Agriculture Framework and National Development Plan IV toward SDGs 2, 8, 13, and 17.