By Dia Aurora, McLean Highschool
Climate change is a worldwide issue that affects countless lives in countless ways. However, Uganda has begun to suffer harder than other communities around the globe. The African country is experiencing catastrophic floods, as well as other natural disasters. According to the World Bank, “local media reported that the October floods [in 2018] … displaced another 8,000 others from … nine affected sub-counties” (World Bank, 2019). The consequences of these floods include lost loved ones, destroyed crops, and the death of livestock. Homes are drifting away into oblivion and schools are being crushed in soda cans.
The most prominent issue comes when buildings and shelters are not the only items taken away from the Ugandan community. BBC News explains that, “during [the 2021] floods, the water submerged hot springs and washed away the vegetation around a waterfall that was used as a place for rituals… and spiritual leaders have been unable to perform those ceremonies” (BBC News 2021). Through this deprivation of spiritual traditions and heritage, “the Bakonzo community[‘s] … heritage could be lost as a result of climate change” (BBC News, 2021).
If these drastic changes continue, there may be nothing left of the Ugandan culture and society.
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