Summary
Knowledge for Change recognises the direct and growing impact that climate change and the environment that people live in can have on their health and wellbeing. For example, there is strong evidence that climate change is leading to an increasing risk of tick-borne diseases in Fort Portal (Uganda) which formed the basis of one of our recent projects. There is also evidence that climate change is impacting precipitation levels and predictability in Uganda, which is affecting crop growth and leading to worsening flooding.
Environmental factors can also have a strong impact on human health; one recent area identified by K4C is the impact that cooking on open charcoal fires can have on respiratory health, particularly of women who do the vast majority of cooking in the Ugandan and Tanzania contexts and also their children who will often be present in the kitchen area. Another area identified is the risk of having livestock co-located with human accommodation and shelter; many people in Uganda rear chickens which often wander into living areas and spread harmful bacteria, for example from their faeces, which can cause both minor and severe illnesses.
Commonwealth Fellowships 2022
In collaboration with ‘Energy House 2.0’ at the University of Salford, K4C applied for 9 Professional Fellowships via the Commonwealth Scholarship Commission’s 2022 theme of “Clean Energy, Clean Oceans and Clean Air”. The selected Fellows came from a variety of backgrounds in Uganda and travelled to the UK for 3 months between February and May 2022. The primary objectives of the fellowships were to assist the fellows in identifying an environmental issue relevant to their professional field and equipping them with the knowledge to effectively tackle their chosen issue upon their return to Uganda. The 9 Fellows were as follows:
Elvisi Orishaba (Policy Maker), Fridah Namakula (Briquette Manufacturer), Isaya Mwesige (Charity Worker), Peter Kansiime (Builder), Flavia Achola (Nurse), Lilian Nampijja (Civil Engineer), Ronald Owachgiu (Solar Engineer), Victor Muchunguzi (Cold Chain Manager) and Johniey Bosco (Policy Maker).
Fridah, Isaya, Peter, Flavia & Ronald all identified areas of the Three-Stone-Fire (TSF) they could improve within their professional fields. A TSF is the primary cooking method used in Uganda, primarily due to its low-cost and easy set-up, which involves placing a pot on three large stones arranged in a triangle, with the fire built underneath. It is estimated that over 90% of Ugandans rely on wood as a primary fuel source, with Uganda losing about 90,000 hectares of forest annually due to the demand for wood fuel and agricultural expansion. Charcoal production is also highly inefficient. The burning of both fuels produces high levels of carbon dioxide and particulate matter into the air and produces smoke filled with pollutants like carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides and volatile organic compounds. These pollutants are exacerbated by the uncovered nature of the fire and it commonly being located within rooms that have little or no ventilation.
Future Activities
As well as continuing our project work on the direct impacts that climate and the environment can have on human health, K4C is currently developing new and exciting research (in collaboration with the University of Salford) into the impact that international travel undertaken by academics, project managers and volunteers has on the climate, particularly in relation to carbon footprints. The research plans to evaluate the different types and purposes of travel being undertaken by different organisations and individuals, and measuring their resulting net carbon dioxide emissions. The aim of the research is to guide future policy for funding bodies, Higher Education Institutions and Charities.