Allan Bomuhangi became a Borlaug LEAP Fellow in the Spring of 2014.  He is pursuing a PhD in Environment and Natural Resources Management from Makerere University.  His research deals with mapping the linkages between women's participation in decision-making and adaptation to climate change hazards in the Mount Elgon region of Uganda. His research objectives include: comparing local peoples understanding of climate change events and their associated hazards in Kapchorwa and Manafwa with scientific climate data, assessing the effects of the "top" ranked climate change hazards (in terms of severity) on the communities with specific emphasis on the gender, examining women's involvement in the decision making process to adapt to climate change hazards within and outside the household, and assessing the suitability of the climate change related policies in lieu of promoting gendered adaptation to climate change.

Bomuhangi was mentored by Dr. Michael Jacobson of Penn State University, and Dr. Ruth Meinzen-Dick of the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI).  Bomuhangi's fellowship supported research data collection activities in Uganda and data analysis and he spent approximately six months in the United States working directly with his mentors.

Mr. Bomuhangi is interested in how to address climate change from a gendered perspective. He indicates that while there is a wealth of literature that studies the linkages between gender and other sectors such as the environment, forestry, energy, water, conflicts, and disasters, there is little existing research considering the linkages between climate change and gender. Mr. Bomuhangi believes that the effects of climate change hazards on rural livelihoods may not be different, but how to deal with the hazards have a gender dimension. His study hopes to contribute to narrowing this knowledge gap by providing an understanding of the gender disaggregate effects of some identified climate change hazards, coping strategies, and how adaptive capacity can be strengthened and supported at household and community levels. This research is particularly important if policy and practice is to respond appropriately to people’s needs in specific contexts. He expects to complete his PhD in Environmental and Natural Resource Management in January 2016.