Drought and Food Security in Kassebwera Parish, Butenga Sub County, Bukomansimbi District, Uganda

International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science (IJRISS) | Volume IV, Issue V, May 2020 | ISSN 2454–6186

Drought and Food Security in Kassebwera Parish, Butenga Sub County, Bukomansimbi District, Uganda

Henry Stanley Mbowa^1*, Specioza Asiimwe², Beatrice Birungi^3
1,3Kampala University, Uganda
²Kampala International University, Uganda
* Corresponding Author

Abstract: – Over 800 million people in the world are food insecure where 180 (23%) million are found in the Sub Saharan Africa. The paper establishes the association between drought and food security in Kassebwera parish, Butenga Sub County, Bukomansimbi district, Uganda. The paper uses both cross-sectional and descriptive survey designs which included mixed methods data collection approaches. 1996 people were targeted and a sample of 322 respondents was determined using Krejcie and Morgan sample size formula. Data was collected through questionnaire which was validated through validity and reliability tests. Reliability was ensured through a pilot study and administered two times at different intervals. Thereafter, responses were calculated using Cronbach Alpha and the reliability was found at 0.778. Validity was ensured through content value index based on the number valid items in the questionnaire, hence a CVI of 0.735 was obtained. Data collected was organized, edited, coded and entered into the SPSS for analysis from which descriptive and inferential statistics were generated that is, regression and correlation. Results indicated that, drought contributes 38.6% while the other factors 61.4% to the variation of food security. The study recommends that, sensitization, awareness and capacity building in SMART agriculture should be enhanced among the households to adapt to the effects of drought on food security.

Keywords: Drought, food security, precipitation, temperature, smart agriculture, wind

I. BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY

Drought has had significant adverse effects on food security across the globe through its effects on plants, animals and fisheries’ productivity (FAO, 2016). The vulnerable and the poor are exposed to the risks of malnutrition, low immunity and eventually leading to death (Ibidi). For that note, drought has had adverse effects on agricultural production, hence food insecurity.
Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO, 2011) indicates that, drought has been ranked as the most important cause of insufficient food on the African Continent resulting into famine and malnutrition. This has food security dimensions too including; food stability, food access, food utilization and food availability.

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