Uganda is currently faced with adverse climate change effects including prolonged droughts, extreme temperatures, landslides, floods, among others which are partly attributed to massive loss of tree cover. The country has been losing an average of 122,000 hectares of forest cover annually. Over 60% of the deforestation is occurring on private land and this has translated into forest cover declining from 4.9 million ha (24%) in 1990 to 2.5 million ha (12.4%) as per the forest inventory which was done by NFA in 2019. This trend of forest loss has raised concerns both locally and internationally and the country may not have readily available timber for use by 2030.

The Run4climate is therefore an annual run organized by Tree Adoption Uganda with the aim of raising awareness on climate change, fostering multi-sectoral participation for climate action as well as raising funds to boost Tree Adoption Uganda’s landscape restoration activities. 

Run4Climate 2020 was the inaugural run organized by TAU at Makerere University Rugby Grounds and it inclined on the theme “rebuilding Bududa”  It took place on the 9th/Feb/2020 and covered 5km around the Kampala suburb of Wandegeya. This run attracted a number of partners including Makerere University, EcoMatcher, International Medical Centre (IMC), National Forestry Authority (NFA), Socceroos, UG tickets, Official Liverpool supporters club of Uganda and Radio-city FM.  

The Run4Climate 2020 was attended by over 400 participants, and it raised funds that supported the growing of 30,000 trees in Bududa. 

Emmanuel Opio, a first-year student pursuing a Degree in development studies at Makerere University came out on top as the best runner with a time of 16:05, ahead of Brian Ategeka (16:30) and Julius Kabagambe (17:11). Emmanuel Opio was given an accolade for his exclusive participation in the run and emerging first.