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Uganda’s population growth, which was estimated at 47.2 million in 2022 and growing at 3 percent per annum, will have serious implications on gender, health, environment, and development. These observations were made at the just concluded conference on Population Dynamics, Gender, Health, and Climate Connection held in Kampala.
Uganda’s population growth, which was estimated at 47.2 million in 2022 and growing at 3 percent per annum, will have serious implications on gender, health, environment, and development. These observations were made at the just concluded conference on Population Dynamics, Gender, Health, and Climate Connection held in Kampala.
Stephen David Mugabi, the acting Director of Environment Affairs in the Ministry of Water and Environment, stated that the rapid population growth in the country was outstripping the capacity of facilities providing all services and these facilities were stressed. He warned that population growth has cost implications for the environment such as degrading agricultural land, increasing soil erosion, deforestation, and destruction of wetlands. These losses are already experienced in Uganda like protected areas becoming farmland, settlements, industrial parks, and communication facilities due to the need to meet the demands of the growing population in Uganda.
According to Winnie Masiko, the National Programme Coordinator of Uganda Women Entrepreneurship Programme in the Ministry of Gender, the high population growth leads to women’s unequal participation in decision-making processes and labour markets. She said these compound inequalities often prevent women from fully contributing to climate-related planning, policy-making, and implementation.
Dr Jotham Musinguzi, the director general of the National Population Council, said the issue of high population growth is recognised but there are measures that can be put in place to mitigate the major challenges. One of these measures is to tame the growth of the country’s population so that it grows in tandem with economic growth and resources. The other ways are to ensure that the population is educated, putting in place measures to protect the environment, using family planning services, and also being able to take adaptive and mitigative measures to protect the environment.
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The National Population Council estimates that the population of Uganda – about 47,250,000 people in 2022 – is expected to double by the mid-century of 2050. Also, the United Nations places Uganda’s 2022 fertility rate at an estimated 3.5 births for each woman, almost twice the current global average of 2.3.
