Civil War and Climate Vulnerability in Northern Uganda: New VUCCA-Affiliated BSc Project

The changes in climate, combined with the 20-year-long civil war between the Ugandan government and the Lord¡¯s Resistance Army (LRA), have made the population of Northern Uganda particularly vulnerable to climate change. During the war, the government established internally displaced persons (IDP) camps to protect the rural population from the violence of the LRA. However, these forced camps disrupted many people¡¯s livelihoods by limiting access to education, reducing resources, and fostering mistrust.

The thesis analyzes how the population experiences increased vulnerability to climate change in the aftermath of the civil war. The analysis is based on the population¡¯s exposure, sensitivity, and adaptive capacity¡ªthree components that form theoretical framework of the thesis, as defined by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). This focus is important because the consequences of two decades of civil war have further intensified the population¡¯s already existing vulnerability in Northern Uganda.

The project shows how the civil war has affected agricultural knowledge and household resources. These consequences are analyzed through a literature review of academic reports using both qualitative and quantitative methods, capturing personal experiences alongside statistical perspectives on vulnerability. The inevitable changes in climate increase exposure and sensitivity, and when combined with reduced adaptive capacity, result in heightened vulnerability to climate change.