Presentation during the CCAFS Side Event on Strengthening Climate Services at the 7TH Africa Agriculture Science Week, Kigali Rwanda

1. 14-17 th of June 2016”

2. OUTLINE :
« Value Chain of climate services »
ü Data gap: in time and space
ü tailoring climate services to beneficiaries needs
ü communication : content, channel and actionable
ü Building a long term partnership : trust + scaling up

3. Data gap: time and space

4. STRONG TIME AND SPACE VARIABILITIES :
What are we getting : information or noise ?
GHCN Series: 12-20N, 18W-30E

5. Data
o Satellite data : since 1981 (good climatology) : validation
and calibration
o Extension and Farmers community
o Public private partnership : index insurance, community
radio

6. DISTRIBUTING RAINGAGE TO LEAD
FARMERS
FROM « USER » TO PARTNER

7. tailored climate services

8. • Field preparation :
• Selecting the crop :
• Planting :
• Weeding :
• Applying fertilizer,
pesticide, …
• Harvesting :
• Storage :
Finance
Technology
Heritage
Sociology
Habits
Beliefs
Environment
Climate/weather
DOCUMENTING FARMERS DECISION SYSTEM :
WHAT DECISONS FARMERS are MAKING TO MANAGE
THEIR CROPPING SYSTEM AND WHY ?
WHAT WHY

9. actionable information

10. From useful to useable
Ø Numbers : “1mm of rain ?”
Ø Probabilistic form
Ø Technical jargons
Ø Updating climate forecast
Ø Early rain
Ø Optimum planting date
Ø Suitable cultivars
Ø Weeding time

11. team work : farmers, climatologist, World Vision, Agriculture expert, sociologist

12. Climateinformation
Seasonal forecast Weather forecast Nowcasting
Local working Group
(Customize Climate information)
Farmers Agriculture
Livestock
Local
authority
Extensions
services
Forestry
Community
radio
Seed growers
Rural radio Text messaging Social gatherings Bulletin
LocalPluri-disciplinary
WorkingGroup
Community
Pest Disease
Control

13. Network of community radios used to disseminate
climate inormation

14. Building longterm partnership :
TRUST

15. Building on local knowledge:
High humidity and high temperatures can explain some of
their indicators è “Stronger monsoon”
Doing quite the same thing BUT
Better observing system
More reliable storage capacity (numbers, maps, computers,
…)
« When the wind change direction to fetch the
rain » = Wind change from harmatan to monsoon
during onset

16. Ø First step : building trust (social dimension : using indigeneous
knowledge)
Ø Giving not only useful BUT useable information
(tailored for specific user needs : local language)
Ø Long term and multi-stakeholders partnership (each
institution has part of the solution for food security)
Ø Communication in easy to use term (easy to understand, can
translate into action and to be evaluated)
Ø Dynamic process : need to better understand
farmers decision system (farmers active participation : rain guage,
indigenous knowledge …)
WHAT DID WE LEARN

17. CHALLENGES
Ø Spatial scale of the forecast … down to farm
Ø scaling-up other sites
Ø Sustainability : from project to “national” program
Ø Thinking wide a whole solution not part of the puzzle :
Ø dry (bad news !) =>give them hope (climate insurance, alternative)
Ø wet but there is no extra resources : so what ? (Bank, …)
Offering comprehensive whole package with varieties of
partners (engage seed/fertilizer producers, bank, corporation, … )
è « Commotion effect » : Multi partners in the same place they don’t
talk each other but talk to the same farmer.
è HOPE : farmers are more now conscious, technology is well
advanced (satellite, ), climate change is a reality,