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This paper addresses a concurrent burning issue in Uganda; the mitigation of rapidly increasing lightning hazards in the country. By analyzing various economic, technical and social factors a feasible hazard mitigation module has been proposed. The module essentially needs government intervention for providing facilities and coordination of various contributors and stakeholders for channeling expertise and possible funding. Several lightning disaster mitigation strategies have been proposed whereas practicality and limitations of applying them in Uganda are discussed in detail. Proposed modules are applicable in many countries having similar socio economic environment.

International Standards on lightning protection risk assessment (IEC 62305-2: 2010) are well accepted and applied in many parts of the world. During the last few years a large number of lightning related accidents, especially due to direct strikes, have been reported from Asia and Africa where the lightning struck objects are small structures. Information gathered from several investigations done on these cases have been used to determine the level of protection needed for these structures as per the standard risk assessment. In many cases the outcome was the none-requirement of any LPS for such structures or a risk factor for direct strike probability which is less than the critical value. As there are millions of similar structures in these regions, we propose the development of a separate risk assessment algorithm for such structures, especially in underdeveloped countries.

This is one of the first scientific investigations on lightning current and voltage distribution along Buddhist Stupa in Sri Lanka and elsewhere. Such distribution provide vital information on lightning safety concerns of people and objects outside the structure as the building is totally sealed. The metal casket of which the block of quartz is installed at the pinnacle of the Stupa, may act as the point of interception with lightning stepped leader. Large hem ispherically symmetric outer structure of the Stupa causes uniform distribution of current over its surface. Such distribution yields very low current density thus possibilities of side flashing or localized heating are minimized. Structure of the Stupa was analyzed as a collection of lumped circuit elements using MatLab and SimuLink software to show that there will be no dangerous potentials developed within possible arcing range to the surrounding, in the application of impulse current. Thinly distributed current, driven into the deeply laid foundation of the structure, prevents development of significant step potentials in the vicinity that could pose danger to the devotees.

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