By Victor Turinawe.
The Principal Investigator of the STEPUP-UCSAATP Competitive Research Grant, Dr Sara Namirembe, has called for environmental responsibility among researchers as a means to navigate climate change.
Dr Namirembe made the call on September 21, 2026, on the first day of a five-day research training workshop held at the ICMI Building at Uganda Christian University (UCU) Mukono Campus, themed “Co-Monitoring the Effectiveness of CSA-TIMPs With Youths Along the Sorghum Value Chain.”
During her presentation, Dr Namirembe emphasised greenhouse gases, the greenhouse effect and the importance of collective action in addressing environmental challenges.
“Increasing concentration of greenhouse gases as a result of human activities is intensifying the greenhouse effect and contributing to global warming and climate change,” explained Dr Namirembe.
“As greenhouse gas concentrations increase, more heat is retained within the Earth’s climate system. This contributes to rising global temperatures and changes in weather and climate patterns. These changes can affect agriculture, water resources, ecosystems, human health and livelihoods,” added Dr Namirembe.
Dr Namirembe further stressed that environmental challenges require awareness and collective responsibility. Individuals, communities, institutions and governments all have roles to play in addressing the causes and consequences of climate change.
According to Prof Charles Ssekyewa from the Centre for Ecosystems Research and Development (CERD), as well as the Secretary General for the International Society of Organic Agriculture Research (ISOFAR), some of the greenhouse gases emitted into the atmosphere through burning of materials include:
Methane (CH₄): Emitted through activities such as livestock farming, waste management and fossil fuel production.
Carbon dioxide (CO₂): Released through the burning of fossil fuels, deforestation and other human activities.
Nitrous oxide (N₂O): Associated with agricultural practices and certain industrial activities.
Water vapour: A naturally occurring greenhouse gas that contributes to the climate system.
Meanwhile, Osborn Ahimbisibwe, the head of the Research Ethics Committee (REC) at Uganda Christian University (UCU) and the Co-PI, together with Prof Elizabeth Bacwayo, stated that the project focuses on climate-smart agriculture (CSA) TIMPs, which stands for Technologies, Innovations and Management Practices.
“We are specifically looking at the co-monitoring of the effectiveness of climate-smart agricultural TIMPs in the Teso sub-region, with a particular focus on sorghum in the districts of Bukedea, Ngora and Serere, using climate-smart agricultural practices to address climate-related challenges,” said Ahimbisibwe.
“We are currently training 50 young people, from whom 30 will be selected to conduct field research. They will investigate how people in the Teso sub-region are using climate-adaptive measures to mitigate the negative effects of climate change.”
“Through the training, we hope to develop a team of young researchers who will collect information from communities in the Teso sub-region and help establish how climate-adaptive agricultural practices are being used to address the effects of climate change,” explained Ahimbisibwe.
The project is a partnership between the National Agriculture Research Organization (NATO), STEPUP Standard Limited, the Centre for Ecosystems Research and Development (CERD) and Uganda Christian University (UCU), with the overall objective being to equip young people with research skills and mentor them to conduct field research on climate-smart agricultural practices.
