As the impacts of climate change deepen across Africa — driving droughts, floods, and worsening water insecurity — leaders from across the continent are uniting to confront these challenges head-on.
Uganda will be among the countries represented at the 2025 Sector Ministers’ Meeting (SMM), scheduled for October 22–23 in Madrid, Spain.
Held under the theme “Breaking Silos: Uniting Political Leadership to Integrate Water, Sanitation and Climate Action,” the high-level meeting will bring together ministers responsible for water, sanitation, environment, climate, and finance from over 60 countries.
The global event is being co-convened by the Government of Spain, UNICEF, and the Sanitation and Water for All (SWA) partnership.
Uganda will be represented by Dr. Alfred Okot Okidi, the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Water and Environment, who will join other African leaders in championing sustainable solutions to the region’s most pressing water and sanitation challenges.
Uganda’s Reality
Despite notable progress, nearly 8 million Ugandans still lack access to safe drinking water, and over 20 million live without improved sanitation facilities, according to the Ministry of Water and Environment (2024).
Many rural communities rely on open wells and streams that are drying up or contaminated due to erratic rainfall and pollution.
Frequent floods and rising lake levels in Eastern and Western Uganda continue to destroy water sources and displace families — threatening public health, education, and livelihoods.
“Water and sanitation are at the heart of community health and economic growth,” said Hon. Sam Cheptoris, Minister of Water and Environment. “As climate change intensifies, Uganda must strengthen systems that ensure every home, school, and health centre has reliable access to clean water and proper sanitation.”
The Uganda Bureau of Statistics (UBOS) estimates that five in ten households still depend on unimproved sanitation facilities, increasing risks of diarrhoeal diseases and parasitic infections.
Additionally, 6.7% of Ugandan households still practice open defecation, according to UNICEF (2024) — a critical challenge in achieving Sustainable Development Goal 6.2 by 2030.
Hand hygiene also remains a concern, with only 4 in 10 households owning a handwashing facility with soap and water.
Meanwhile, 90% of households manage solid waste improperly, according to UNICEF Uganda, leading to contamination and pest-related diseases.
The situation is particularly severe in Kampala’s 62 informal settlements, where limited access to toilets, clean water, and waste disposal systems has led to heightened disease outbreaks.
“Poor sanitation keeps the vulnerable trapped in poverty,” said Benon Kigenyi, Deputy Executive Director of the Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) during National Sanitation Week (March 2025) in Kawempe Division.
The economic cost of poor sanitation in Uganda is alarming — reaching shs5.9 trillion annually, or roughly 3% of GDP, according to Dr. Ibrahim Kasirye, a researcher at the Economic Policy Research Centre (EPRC), Makerere University. “Premature deaths are the largest contributor, accounting for shs 3.2 trillion, followed by health care costs (shs1.5 trillion), productivity losses, and time losses of around shs0.5 trillion each,” he said.
Africa’s Shared Challenge
Across Sub-Saharan Africa, nearly 400 million people lack access to safe drinking water and over 700 million live without safely managed sanitation, according to the WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme (JMP, 2023).
From prolonged droughts in the Horn of Africa to flooding in the Sahel and Southern Africa, climate change is magnifying existing vulnerabilities — threatening health, education, food security, and economic stability.
Yet, hope is not lost. African countries are demonstrating leadership through innovative policies and investments — from Kenya’s climate-resilient water infrastructure, to Ghana’s drive for universal sanitation, and Ethiopia’s integration of water and climate action planning.
The 2025 Sector Ministers’ Meeting in Madrid will offer a critical opportunity for African ministers to share practical experiences, forge new partnerships, and align national strategies that link water, sanitation, and climate action.
With Uganda actively participating, the summit is expected to reinforce the country’s role in shaping a more resilient, inclusive future for the continent.