Prolonged Dry Spells and Food Security Among Households in Endinzi Sub County Isingiro District, Uganda

Abstract

Background: The study was about the effect of prolonged dry spells on food security among households in Endinzi sub county Isingiro district. The study objectives were; (1) To identify the effect of prolonged dry spells on food availability among households in Endinzi sub county Isingiro district, (2) To identify the effect of prolonged dry spells on food access among households in Endinzi sub county Isingiro district (3) To assess the effect of prolonged dry spells on food consumption among households in Endinzi subcounty Isingiro district. The study was anchored on the Anthropogenic Global Warming theory by Joseph L. Bast (2010). Methods: The study adopted a cross-sectional design where quantitative research methods was utilized. The study involved 350 households which were selected from seven villages in Endinzi sub county using simple random sampling techniques. Data was collected using a Likert scale questionnaire and the data there of was analysed using SPSS. Findings: The main findings revealed that there were food availability inconsistencies among the households, prolonged dry spells resulted into poor yields at the end of the harvesting period which generates limited food access among the households and that dry spells negatively impacted on households’ ability to maintain a balanced diet. Conclusion: The study concluded that dry spells heavily influenced food security in Endinzi Subcounty. It was therefore recommended that interventions that promote climate-smart agriculture as a strategy to improve resilience against dry spells be encouraged.