Building a Disaster-Resilient Uganda: Why the Next Rainy Season Must Mark a Shift from “Emergency Response to Risk Reduction”.

By Albinious Twesigomwe.

As Uganda approaches another rainy season, one question should occupy the minds of every policymaker, emergency responder, development partner, local leader and citizen: Are we prepared? The answer will determine whether the coming months are remembered for effective preparedness or for yet another cycle of preventable deaths, destroyed homes and businesses, damaged infrastructure, and shattered livelihoods. Uganda’s experience over the last decade demonstrates that while heavy rainfall is a natural phenomenon, disasters are not. Floods, landslides, urban inundation and infrastructure failures become catastrophes when human vulnerability outpaces investments in disaster risk reduction. Rapid urbanisation, environmental degradation, weak land-use planning and the increasing impacts of climate change have combined to expose communities to ever-greater risks. Disaster management, therefore, can no longer be viewed solely as the responsibility of emergency responders. It is a national development, governance and security priority that demands coordinated action before, during and after disasters occur.

Uganda’s recent history provides sobering evidence of why this shift is urgently needed. In 2019, prolonged rainfall triggered devastating floods and landslides in Bundibugyo District, claiming lives, displacing thousands of people and destroying homes, roads and agricultural land. A year later, River Nyamwamba in Kasese District burst its banks after heavy rains, washing away bridges, schools, health facilities and critical infrastructure while disrupting economic activity across the district. Despite previous disasters along the same river, the recurrence highlighted the absence of sustainable flood mitigation measures. The pattern continued in 2022 when renewed flooding in Kasese claimed more lives, displaced thousands of residents and caused extensive crop losses that threatened household food security. By 2024, Uganda experienced one of its most destructive years for rainfall-related disasters. Floods and landslides in Kasese and Ntoroko affected tens of thousands of people, destroyed infrastructure and severely disrupted livelihoods. In August of the same year, the tragic collapse of the Kiteezi landfill in Kampala claimed more than thirty lives, exposing the dangerous consequences of poor urban planning, inadequate drainage systems, weak waste management and insufficient disaster risk governance. Only a few months later, catastrophic landslides struck Bulambuli District on the slopes of Mount Elgon, leaving dozens dead or missing, destroying homes and isolating communities. The trend persisted into 2025, with heavy rains affecting thousands of people, destroying homes and disrupting schools and water facilities across several districts.

These events are not isolated incidents; together they reveal a pattern, government and United Nations assessments indicate that natural disasters have affected more than 3.3 million Ugandans and claimed over 1,100 lives over the years, with floods and landslides accounting for a significant proportion of these losses. Between the 2015/16 and 2017/18 financial years alone, Uganda recorded 174 disaster-related deaths and 463 injuries.

“Behind every statistic is a grieving family, a child whose education was interrupted, a farmer whose livelihood was destroyed, a business forced to close, or a community that continues to struggle long after emergency responders have departed” The question???, therefore, is not simply why Uganda experiences heavy rainfall, but why these hazards continue to produce devastating consequences. The underlying causes are well known.

Settlement in wetlands and flood plains, cultivation and construction on unstable mountain slopes, poor enforcement of physical planning regulations, blocked drainage systems, deforestation, wetland degradation, inadequate investment in disaster preparedness and limited public awareness all contribute significantly to disaster risk. Climate change has further intensified rainfall variability, making extreme weather events more frequent and severe. Unless these underlying vulnerabilities are addressed, future disasters are likely to become even more destructive.

Uganda must therefore shift its national approach from reacting to disasters to preventing them. One of the most important investments the country can make is the establishment of a fully integrated National Multi-Hazard Early Warning System capable of detecting hazards, communicating warnings rapidly and enabling communities to act before disaster strikes. Such a system should integrate the Uganda National Meteorological Authority, hydrological monitoring agencies, local governments, security agencies, emergency responders, telecommunications companies, media houses and community leadership structures. Early warning information should then be able to reach citizens through SMS alerts, radio and television broadcasts, social media, local council networks, religious institutions, schools and other trusted communication channels. Most importantly, warnings must be timely, accurate and accompanied by clear guidance on the actions communities should take.

Preparedness, however, extends far beyond early warning. The greatest achievement in disaster management is not measured by the number of successful rescue operations but by the number of disasters prevented from becoming catastrophes. Government should then accelerate hazard mapping using Geographic Information Systems (GIS), satellite imagery and historical disaster data to identify flood-prone and landslide-prone areas. These maps should guide physical planning, infrastructure development and settlement decisions. Urban drainage systems require routine maintenance and expansion to cope with increasing rainfall intensity, while encroachment on wetlands and natural drainage channels must be addressed through consistent enforcement of environmental laws. In this regard, the continued efforts of the National Environment Management Authority (NEMA) deserve recognition. Although environmental enforcement is sometimes unpopular, protecting wetlands and fragile ecosystems today prevents far greater human and economic losses tomorrow. Environmental conservation must therefore be recognised not only as an ecological responsibility but also as a central pillar of disaster risk reduction.

Building resilient communities is equally important because communities are invariably the first responders when disasters occur. Every district should establish and adequately train Community Disaster Management Committees capable of conducting first aid, evacuation, basic search and rescue, flood preparedness, fire safety and emergency communication. Disaster preparedness should also be integrated into school curricula so that children understand emergency procedures from an early age. In addition, regular simulation exercises involving local governments, the Uganda Police Force, the Uganda People’s Defence Forces, the Uganda Red Cross Society, health services, humanitarian organisations and community volunteers should become an integral part of Uganda’s annual preparedness calendar.

At the same time, Uganda’s emergency response institutions require sustained investment to match the country’s growing disaster risks. While the Uganda People’s Defence Forces have repeatedly demonstrated remarkable capability during complex emergency operations, effective disaster response should not depend on a single institution. Emergency response agencies should be equipped with rescue boats, ambulances, water rescue equipment, urban search and rescue capabilities, mobile incident command centres and well-equipped Emergency Operations Centres, particularly in high-risk regions. Equally important is strengthening inter-agency coordination through joint planning, interoperable communication systems, shared information platforms and regular multi-agency exercises.

Technology must also become an integral part of Uganda’s disaster risk management strategy. Artificial intelligence-assisted weather forecasting, automated rainfall monitoring stations, river-level sensors, drone surveillance, Geographic Information Systems, satellite monitoring and digital emergency information platforms can significantly improve situational awareness and decision-making. However, technology should complement not replace the invaluable local knowledge possessed by communities that have lived with these hazards for generations.

Disaster recovery should likewise be viewed as an opportunity to reduce future risk rather than recreate existing vulnerabilities. Every reconstruction programme should embrace the principle of “Build Back Better,” ensuring stronger infrastructure, improved drainage systems, safer housing, restored ecosystems and enhanced community resilience. Recovery efforts should also include psychosocial support, livelihood restoration, climate-resilient agriculture and systematic documentation of lessons learned to strengthen future preparedness.

Ultimately, building a disaster-resilient Uganda requires a comprehensive national agenda anchored on four strategic priorities:  “Establishing a fully integrated National Multi-Hazard Early Warning System, Strengthening disaster risk reduction through risk-informed planning and environmental protection, Building resilient communities through education, preparedness and local capacity development; and Modernising emergency response while ensuring that recovery builds back better”. These priorities are not optional they are essential investments in protecting lives, safeguarding development gains and securing the nation’s future.

Disaster resilience cannot be achieved by government alone. It demands collective responsibility from policymakers, emergency services, local governments, academia, the private sector, civil society, development partners, the media and every Ugandan citizen. “Preparedness save lives. Prevention protects development gains. Resilience secures our future”. The disasters of the past decade should not simply be remembered as tragic events; they should become the foundation upon which Uganda builds a stronger, safer and more resilient nation. As the rains approach once again, let us replace reaction with preparation, vulnerability with resilience and complacency with action. The cost of preparedness is always far lower than the cost of rebuilding communities after disaster strikes

“The next rainy season is inevitable but another national tragedy is not. The right time to prepare for a disaster is before the first raindrop falls”

The Writer is a Disaster Risk Reduction Specialist and Political Commentator.

E- talbinious@gmail.com

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