In Uganda, variable rainfall and rising temperatures have exposed local communities to countless challenges, from floods to droughts and rapidly spreading infectious diseases causing health crises.
To minimize the effects of these compounding issues on communities, infrastructure and natural resources, the Uganda Red Cross Society (URCS) and the Netherlands Red Cross (NRC) are working together to find innovative ways to strengthen local preparedness and response.
The teamwork between the two National Societies, reliant on local URCS volunteers and staff, is grounded in the idea ofanticipatory action, which reduces the humanitarian impacts of forecasted hazards before their shocks are felt.
A cornerstone of these efforts is impact-based forecasting, a methodology that can predict the impact extreme weather might have on specific areas through real-time data. To this end, the Netherlands Red Cross has developed an Impact-Based Forecasting Portal, which releases specific, crucial warnings about an impending extreme weather event.
Emmanuel Ntale, the Anticipatory Action focal point of Uganda Red Cross Society, analyses the data provided in the Impact-Based Forecasting Portal, using weather forecasts to predict and reduce the worst impacts of climate events such as floods.
Photo: Inez Gortzak/Netherlands Red Cross
Using this information, local organizations can make timely decisions on how to prepare, identify at-risk infrastructure like hospitals and schools, and find solutions to community-specific needs – from providing shelter to distributing food and hygiene kits.
With the aid of the Impact-Based Forecasting Portal, URCS monitors changes in the weather. When the anticipated conditions reach a certain level – or trigger – the National Society quickly activates early actions in coordination with volunteers and staff at the local level. In this way, communities can receive alerts up to five days ahead of the arrival of the predicted flood.
Within those five days, people have time to protect themselves and others by, among other things, strengthening infrastructure, keeping informed about weather conditions, and storing important documents and hazardous materials high up, out of harm’s way.
In November 2023, the Uganda Red Cross Society received warnings ahead of major floods for the first time using this methodology, triggering early action to prepare for heavy rainfall.
“Impact-based forecasting helped me identify high-risk areas prone to flooding and activate Red Cross teams for preparedness activities”, says Joel Kitutu, Project Manager at the URCS. “Communities across Uganda were able to clear drainage channels and evacuate before floods hit, reducing impact on homes and saving lives."
Staff and volunteers from URCS and the NLRC are engaged in focus group discussions on leveraging community engagement in anticipatory action activities.
Photo: Inez Gortzak/Netherlands Red Cross
The partnership between the Uganda Red Cross Society and the Netherlands Red Cross showcases the power of collaboration in localizing humanitarian action. By leveraging innovative, data-driven strategies such as impact-based forecasting, the two National Societies are at the forefront of proactive disaster preparedness and response. Together, they ensure that community needs are prioritized to optimally support affected populations in Uganda.
The work to support local communities in Uganda is supported by the Programmatic Partnership between the IFRC network and the European Union. The partnership provides strategic, flexible, long-term and predictable funding, so that National Societies can act before a crisis or health emergency occurs. It is being implemented in 24 countries around the world.
Click here to learn more about the data and digital work of the Netherlands Red Cross.