By Ezaruku Draku Franklin

Weather experts from a number of bodies have advised farmers to use the current rains to plant short maturing crops that will sustain them during the next three months, warning that the next three months will likely be dry.

While the months of October to December are normally wet in most parts of the country, experts predict that the situation is likely to be different this time.

Data from the Uganda National Meteorological Authority indicates that over all, during the months of September, October, November and December 2022 season, there is a high likelihood of near normal (average) to below normal (suppressed) rainfall over most parts of Uganda, as much as September and October were expected to experience near normal (average) with a tendency to above normal (enhanced) rainfall.

Uganda experiences two major rainfall seasons  of March April-May and September-October-November-December. However, areas of Northern and some parts of Eastern Uganda experience substantial rainfall during the season of June-July­ August.

The data indicate that most parts of the country are receiving normal to near above normal rainfalls and this will end by October as November and December will have normal to below normal rainfall.

The authority advised the different sectors of the economy to utilize the current rainfalls and plan accordingly.

However, Dr Daniel Waiswa, the coordinator of the national biodiversity data bank at Makerere University School of Forestry and College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, said analysis of several global climate predictions models customised for the Greater Horn of Africa indicate a drier period this time round.

“At the beginning of this season, our main advisory was that people start planting early and plant short term maturing crops that will take two to three months,” he said.

He said together with Uganda National Meteorology Authority, they are members of the IGAD Climate Prediction and Applications Centre (ICPAC), which gives seasonal weather forecasts. He said seven of the eight models used by ICPAC’s scientists indicate a drier three-month season, hence increasing reliability of the forecast.

Last week, the Intergovernmental Authority on Development, (Igad), the Regional Centre for Mapping Resources for Development (RCMRD) and the African Union Commission held a three-day regional member states consultative meeting to agree on action points to kickstart the development of an integrated regional policy for using satellite data to collect climate change related information and design appropriate interventions to mitigate floods, landslides and droughts.

Dr Emmanuel Nkurunziza the director general of RCMRD, said the resolutions from the meeting will be debated by line ministers, policy makers, permanent secretaries and heads of national metrology agencies from member states during their meeting at Speke Resort Munyonyo in Kampala next month.

He said satellite technology is very crucial to addressing effects and impact of climate change.

Prof Hussein Farah, a lecturer of at the Technical University of Kenya, explained that they use satellite technology for surveying and mapping natural resources such as forests, wetlands crops and minerals.

“Specifically in this meeting, we have been discussing how satellite data can help us to map and mitigate flooding, landslides and droughts that have hit northern Kenya, Ethiopia and Somalia. We have modern ways of mapping to support communities know where the resources are, their quality and plan for them,” he said.