Landscape, Patterns, and Experiences of Climate-Related Displacement in Uganda: A Geospatial Document Analysis

Background: Climate change and natural disasters have been affecting Uganda(ns) more and more in recent years. Despite this, little investigation has been done to comprehensively summarize this issue and understand the potential health-related impacts of climate displacement. This study aimed to be the first to (1) establish the landscape of climate disasters in Uganda, and (2) identify experiences and circumstances faced by climate-displaced persons in the country.

Methods: A mixed-methods (and geospatially-based) document analysis approach was deployed. Thirty-eight systematic searches of Google yielded 134 unique records for inclusion, using a wide variety of media types. A public:ly available disaster events database was designed and created, linking impact metrics and qualitative experiences of affected persons. Thematic analysis was used to generate themes from qualitative data.

Results: Between 2008 and October 2025, a total of 567 disaster events were reported; of those, 500 have occurred since 2020. Over 2 million people have been displaced by climate disasters in Uganda over that time frame, with over 182,000 being displaced annually (on average) since 2020. Climate-displaced persons faced deeply traumatic experiences that contribute to lasting health-related challenges and livelihood impacts. Connection and reliance on the land played a role in unsuccessful relocation efforts, leaving communities “hanging on death rope.”

Conclusions: A drastic rise in climate disasters striking Uganda has occurred in recent years, which is having substantial and lasting impacts on physical, socioemotional, and financial well-being. Further investigation is needed to understand mechanisms for climate displacement impacting long-term health.