Disasters in Uganda

Uganda’s most frequent disaster risks are hydrometeorological. Drought is especially significant in Karamoja. Flooding and waterlogging affect lowlands, river and lake basins and urban areas, including Kampala. Landslides and mudslides are particularly relevant in the Mount Elgon, Rwenzori and Kigezi areas. Lightning, hailstorms and windstorms occur across different regions, while earthquakes appear in national risk assessments but generally have lower overall response relevance. Seasonal risk assessments can also identify urban flash floods, soil erosion, livestock disease, crop pests, water-related disease and malaria as developing threats. Treatment of illness belongs to health services, and crime belongs to the separate crime field unless it directly affects disaster operations. The national system is called Disaster Preparedness and Management. The Office of the Prime Minister coordinates national disaster risk management, relief and recovery. The National Emergency Coordination and Operations Centre, known as NECOC, operates around the clock for early warning and crisis coordination. The Department of Meteorological Services provides daily, city, marine and seasonal weather forecasts and alerts. Uganda’s National Integrated Early Warning System, known as U-NIEWS, distributes bulletins and hazard profiles. Information reaches the public through FM radio, television, print media and SMS, including the SMS service *901#. A typical response moves from hazard monitoring to a warning, community communication, district action and emergency operations. District Disaster Management Committees and District Disaster Policy Committees use district contingency plans, especially in high-risk areas. Uganda Police Force, Fire Prevention and Rescue Services, the Uganda People’s Defence Force and Uganda Red Cross Society may support reporting, search and rescue, evacuation, temporary relocation, food and non-food relief, health support and water, sanitation and hygiene measures. District, city and other urban authorities coordinate local implementation, while the Office of the Prime Minister can release relief supplies from its national warehouse. Preparedness includes hazard and vulnerability mapping, district and community assessments, contingency planning for floods, landslides and drought, public awareness, drills, climate-risk training and pre-positioning of relief items. Communities and households are expected to follow alerts, activate local plans, avoid dangerous crossings and report incidents. During floods, people should avoid crossing flooded roads or moving water. During lightning, shelter should be sought away from open ground, tall trees and conductive materials. Lake and river incidents require trained rescue support rather than improvised crossings. Uganda has no single nationwide public register of evacuation routes and shelters identified in the reviewed national framework. Evacuation and temporary relocation therefore depend on the incident, district contingency plan and local coordination. Some communities on steep or unstable slopes may temporarily stay with host families. Formal resettlement for settlements in high-risk areas is programme-based and phased rather than automatic. Recovery can include safer land, housing, roads, schools, health facilities, water services, livelihood restoration, reforestation and repair of damaged infrastructure. Access to warnings and emergency hotlines is public. Relief, livelihood assistance and resettlement depend on the hazard, damage assessment and the affected community’s case; no universal disaster cash payment is established by the available national information. Emergency calls can be made through NECOC at 0800177777, Uganda Police Force at 112 or 999, the National Emergency Centre at 0800199399 and Fire and Rescue Services at 0800121222. Calls and warnings generally do not carry a user fee, while response timing depends on the event, access, district capacity and available resources. National planning also considers homes, roads, drainage, transport and businesses, schools, health and water facilities, utilities, farms and livestock systems. In high-risk areas, planning should use NECOC maps and hazard profiles rather than relying only on past experience. A Mount Elgon resettlement programme illustrates the scale of some interventions: the 2026 plan referred to 9,417 high-risk households and a 21,000-acre target, with a model involving two acres and UGX 10,000,000 per household. A separate plan identified 1,224 households for movement from Bunambutye to Lower Kween and 1,318 acres acquired for that purpose. These figures describe specific programmes and do not create a general entitlement for every disaster-affected household.