Joto Afrika: Climate Communication for Adaptation

This 8-page brief, which forms part of a series of briefs called Joto Afrika, endeavours to show how a range of programmes in Kenya, Niger, and Ghana are developing approaches to incorporating communication of climate information into their work with farmers and pastoralists in climate vulnerable areas. Using a range of communication mechanisms, the programmes demonstrate how such information has reached and supported communities to make their own decisions, diversify their livelihood choices, and protect their assets. According to the brief, climate change is continuous and unpredictable. Adaptive capacity to make informed and flexible decisions for action is becoming even more important to ensure resilience to climate change impacts. These case studies demonstrate how access and use of weather and climate forecasts, together with increased understanding of uncertainties as expressed in probabilities, can be transformed into useful and usable information. Such information empowers vulnerable communities to make their own calculated and climate informed decisions on livelihood and risk management choices, innovation, and use of services and resources.

The articles in this issue reflect the experiences from a range of programmes implemented by: CARE International through the Adaptation Learning Programme in Kenya, Ghana and Niger; Christian Aid; the Kenya Meteorological Department (KMD) and IGAD's Climate Predictions and Applications Center (ICPAC), all in Kenya.

The case studies outlined are as follows.

• Rainfall recording: a community decision making tool in Niger: In the Sahel, erratic behaviour of seasons, linked to climate variability and change, is putting pressure on household food security and local knowledge. Livelihood choices and mobility are being reduced as families fail to rebuild their livestock herds and become increasingly dependent on settled agricultural production. In arid conditions, with only one short rainy season every year and uncertainties of climate change, this is a potentially risky strategy. The Adaptation Learning Programme (ALP) in Niger, partnering with Niger meteorological services, has installed 20 community rain gauges in Dakoro district, linked to a community vulnerability monitoring and early warning system using mobile phone service. The community monitors have been trained to measure, record, and disseminate rainfall amounts on a daily basis to the local meteorological services. When it rains, the community monitors record rainfall amounts over a 24 hour period and communicate the data to the Dakoro meteorological department using mobile phones. They in turn, analyse the rainfall data and transmit the information to community radio stations and national radio, for dissemination. Farmers are able to know the rainfall recorded immediately after downpours and this has given them confidence in the decision to plant or not, thus resulting to a reduction of the rate of seed loss due to multiple replanting. Rain gauge information has also enabled decision making on other farming operations such as weeding time, when to apply pesticides, and search for pasture by pastoralists.
• Communities benefit from agro-meteorology advice in Kenya: Current efforts to avail climate information to communities in western and southern Kenya are yielding fruits. The communities have reported that their food security situation is steadily rising. Seasonal, monthly, and ten-day climate outlooks for the Greater Horn of Africa Region are produced by the IGAD Climate Predictions and Applications Center (ICPAC). Through support from the Rockefeller Foundation, the downscaled seasonal climate outlooks by Kenya Meteorological Department (KMD) are interpreted by an agrometeorologist into a form easily understood by intermediary users. In the forecast dissemination process the previous seasonal forecast is evaluated, then the scientific and traditional forecasts are shared and harmonised. Advisories developed by the agro-meteorologist from ICPAC are then presented and discussed based on the performance of the previous season's forecast, current forecast and technical advice from agricultural and livestock extension workers. Final climate-based agro-advisories to advice on seasonal farming activities are agreed upon by participants, with emphasis on gender perspectives. Contents of the advisories include: planting time, good farm management practices, choice of inorganic fertilizers and use of farm manure, suitable crop types and varieties to be planted, weeding regimes, the available seed suppliers, prevention and control measures for crop pests and diseases, pasture management and measures that community members could use to exploit the forecasted seasonal climate and other agronomic practices.
• Making seasonal forecasts usable in Ghana and Kenya: Participatory Scenario Planning (PSP) is being used in Kenya and Ghana by the Adaptation Learning Programme (ALP) to facilitate communities and local governments to access and interpret seasonal climate forecasts in a manner that enables their understanding and use. PSP events involve a multi-stakeholder platform which respects, reviews, and combines knowledge from community, local government planners, sector-based service providers, and meteorological services to support decision making. Seasonal climate forecasts are presented as the probability of rainfall amounts being above normal, normal, or below normal scenarios in the forthcoming rainy season. Advisories give options on livelihood and DRR strategies that can enable communities and local governments to take advantage of probable opportunities while seeking to address the probable risks. They aim to meet the information demands by different livelihood groups; in Northern Ghana the groups include crop farmers, livestock and poultry keepers, agro-based industries and vocational and artisanal entrepreneurs, while in North Eastern Kenya they are pastoralist and agropastoralist groups. The advisories generated are then communicated to a broader group of communities and local governments for use in their decision making and planning. Advisories have made seasonal climate forecasts easier to understand and take action on.
• The value of climate forecast information to Mbeere farmers in Kenya: The Sustainable Agricultural Livelihoods Innovations Project (SALI) has linked small scale farmers to localised climate forecast information, through the Kenya Meteorological Department (KMD), and provided marketing intelligence and opportunities for increased and diversified agricultural production. KMD has localised and repackaged the weather information into user-friendly products including related advisories for crop farmers and pastoralists. Seasonal weather forecast information is disseminated through workshops where advice is given on possible crop varieties considering the projected rainfall patterns. Farmers also receive weekly and monthly updates. Farmers reported that access to forecast information linked to inputs (seeds) and market knowledge, enabled timely decisions and action for on-farm operations. Twenty groups of farmers rated face to face access as their preferred method, with radio and mobile phones next. Radio forecasts, however, have to be substantially upgraded, with more explanation and new formats, such as a farmer forecast where farmers can ring in to ask questions or participate in the programme, discussing the forecast, its uncertainties and the agricultural recommendations that are developed. Mobile phones forecast services available for KSh 7 were popular when the forecast was localised.
• Impacts of early warning systems in Garissa, Kenya: Garissa County, in North Eastern Kenya, is prone to seasonal floods. The River Tana swells with rainfall runoff from Mt Kenya region leading to flooding. These floods result in displacement and loss of human life, damage to property and irrigation infrastructure, destruction of crops, loss of livestock, and deterioration of health conditions owing to waterborne diseases. As a result people are forced to move to higher ground for safety. The area chief and two other members of the Nanighi community had attended a Participatory Scenario Planning (PSP) workshop held before the onset of the March to May rainy season, to learn and interpret the seasonal forecast with the meteorological services, local government and communities, in order to make informed plans and responses. The Nanighi community is now prepared to take advantage of the flood receding zone by planting food crops such as green grams, maize, and cowpeas. They also anticipate good regeneration of pastures in the areas that were flooded. The advisories developed together have enabled change in farmers’ attitudes and perception towards climate information, unlike in the past when community members believed that any happening was an act of God and nobody could influence it, they have now realized that climate information is useful in dealing with risks and seemingly bad situations.
• Dissemination of climate information using radio in Kenya: RANET (Radio Internet) came in handy to address the existing dissemination gap. RANET is a pilot project that uses multimedia (internet, multimedia digital receivers, rural community FM transmitters, wind up radios, and climate information centres) to disseminate vital weather and climate predictions to vulnerable rural communities, to enable them to mitigate the effects of extreme weather and climate events. The RANET radio stations in Kenya are run by local steering committees with guidance provided by a team from the Kenya Meteorological Department (KMD). Four stations have been established in Suswa, Kangema, Budalangi and Kwale, two are in development in Isiolo and Baringo. Information centres have also been established country-wide and are housed by partner institutions like the Kenya Agricultural Research Institute (KARI). Information disseminated is used to make decisions like when to plant and where to find water for livestock. Timely announcements over the radio ensures the information also contributes to strategic planning and reducing communities’ vulnerability and risk to weather and climate extremes like flooding. More than 350 wind up radios have been given out to communities. These radios are given to poor households, with consideration of gender balance and listening groups of youths. Listenership within the communities is estimated to be large because the radio signal coverage is 25-30 km radius. RANET radio has demonstrated an effective way of disseminating climate information, therefore it will be instrumental for other radio stations to replicate this practice to enable communities make informed decisions.

Joto Afrika is a series of printed briefings and online resources about adapting to climate change in sub- Saharan Africa. The series help people understand the issues, constraints and opportunities that poor people face in adapting to climate change and escaping poverty. Other issues can be accessed via the Arid Land Information Network website.

Click here to download the full paper in English in PDF format.