07 The community revealed that due to the discovery of oil in their area people who bought the land have destroyed cultural sites where they used to collect herbs and engage in cultural practices. Impact of growing climate change It was established during the field visit that some communities in Buliisa had been affected by severe flooding during the COVID pandemic. This was part of the general flooding and increase in water levels across the region during the first lockdown (March to June 2020). Women reported that this flooding resulted in increased hunger and poverty, along with an increase in community crimes and theft. The COVID-19 impact As the pandemic spread across the community its impacts were experienced in various ways. People suspected of being Covid positive were ostracized. Lockdowns prevented people from accessing health facilities and this led to deaths which could have been prevented. People faced loss of incomes as businesses and workplaces closed. Many men abandoned their homes due to lack of daily incomes with cases of domestic violence on the rise. Below are some of the stories that were captured from the community women: “I had false Corona 19 (suspected Coronavirus). From suspicion, everybody abandoned me including the medical workers.” Said Alice, 62 years of age. “I Figure 4: Oil refinery in Kigoroobya, Hoima district 22 Research on the Influence of International Financial Institutions on Uganda’s COVID – 19 Recovery Agenda