New Approaches for Improving Farmers' Livelihoods through Timely and Proper Use of Weather Forecast Information: A Pilot Case in Kenya

Abstract: 
Preliminary observations from community-based agricultural projects have revealed that proper and timely use of weather forecast information can significantly improve farmers’ yields within communities that are vulnerable to extreme conditions of weather, climate change and variability. By increasing their agricultural productivity, food production and food security the community livelihoods are enhanced. ICPAC is strategically placed in a strong partnership with Kenya Meteorological Department (KMD) to forecast, innovatively package and disseminate the forecasts to user communities as early warning for related agro-meteorological activities. The participating farming communities rely on the information disseminated through established ICPAC networks. In addition, there is extensive stakeholder involvement during participatory community capacity building workshops which involve grass root farmers and community leaders. This is reinforced through successive regular dissemination of (down-scaled 10-day, monthly and seasonal weather forecast) updates. This has a great potential in strengthening the resilience of the community to adapt and cope with the current and future unfavourable climatic conditions and related hazards for their improved well being.
Observations préliminaires de projets communautaires agricoles ont révélé que l’utilisation appropriée et en temps opportun des prévisions météorologiques peuvent améliorer considérablement les rendements des agriculteurs au sein des communautés qui sont vulnérables à des conditions extrêmes de la météo, le changement climatique et la variabilité. En augmentant leur productivité agricole, la production alimentaire et la sécurité alimentaire des moyens de subsistance de la communauté sont renforcées. ICPAC est stratégiquement placé dans un partenariat solide avec Kenya Meteorological Department (KMD) de prévoir, de manière innovante et de diffuser les prévisions pour les communautés d’utilisateurs que l’alerte précoce pour les agro-météorologiques liées à des activités. Les communautés agricoles participantes comptent sur l’information diffusée par le biais des réseaux établis ICPAC. En outre, il ya une vaste participation des parties prenantes lors d’ateliers communautaires participatives de renforcement des capacités qui impliquent les agriculteurs racines de graminées et les dirigeants communautaires. Cette impression est renforcée par la diffusion régulière successive de (bas-échelle prévisions météo à 10 jours, mensuelles et saisonnières) mises à jour. Cela a un grand potentiel pour sans aucun doute de renforcer la résilience de la communauté à s’adapter et à faire face aux actuels et futurs des conditions climatiques défavorables et les risques connexes pour leur bien-être amélioré.
Language: 
English
Extended Abstract for Communication and Knowledge Management
Date of publication: 
2012
Country: 
Region Focus: 
East Africa
Collection: 
RUFORUM Conferences and Workshops
Licence conditions: 
Open Access
Publisher: 
Notes: 

The 2012 RUFORUM Biennial Conference is the third in the series. The main objective of the Biennial conferences is to provide a platform for agricultural research for development stakeholders in Africa and beyond to actively exchange findings and experiences, while at the same time learning lessons towards improving performance of the agricultural sector and ultimately people’s livelihoods. The biennial conference is RUFORUM’s most comprehensive meeting for the diversity of stakeholers in agriculture. It is especially dedicated to graduate students and their supervisors, grantees in RUFORUM member universities and alumni. It is a platform for peer review, quality control, mentorship, networking and shared learning. The third Biennial Conference was attended by 657 participants.  This record contains an extended abstract accepted under the theme of Communication and Knowledge Management.