Communication and Drought

R. Stefanski

Chief, Agricultural Meteorology Programme

WMO

Communication Channels TV, Radio, Newspapers

Social media (Facebook, twitter)

Internet – webpages

Bulletins

Face-to-face interactions

Workshops and meetings

Presentations and briefings

One-on-one technical assistance

Coordination with other ongoing projects

Training Courses

3 3

Users of Agrometeorological

Information

Any agricultural decision-maker:

International officials (i.e. Red Cross, WFP, UN)

Government official

Extension agent

Farmers, ranchers, foresters, fishers

Media

General public

Effective Communication Is information relevant for decisions in particular

agricultural system?

Are the sources/providers of information credible to intended user?

Are farmers receptive to information & to research?

Is research accessible to policymaker or decision-maker?

Is the information compatible with existing decision models and farming practice?

Do decision-makers have the capacity to use information?

(Jones, 2003; Pulwarty et al., 2003)

Requirements For climate information and forecasts to be used, four general requirements are identified:

1) Stakeholders (or intermediaries) must be able to obtain information from forecasts or existing information on factors or variables of direct interest to them and at lead times that allow for planning;

2) Paths to decisions must be clear and practical;

3) Stakeholders must be able to critically question the provided information to assess approriateness;

4) Stakeholders must be convinced that such information, when used effectively, will indeed make them better off than before.

Basic Recommendations

Don’t promise too much to quickly.

Start with basic, easily accessible weather

data and simple derived products.

For example, percentile maps, SPI

Basic Recommendations Relate the weather data to meaningful

agricultural information.

While reported weather information may be

useful without further elaboration, impact on

agriculture is the ultimate goal. How does

reported information affect crop growth and

yield potential?

How does current weather situation compare

to a past known event, which had an impact on

agriculture?

Basic Recommendations

Don’t oversell the information.

Drought has a direct impact on crop yield potential. However, other factors such as farm management practices (cultivation, fertilization, and migration) and technology changes (seed hybrids, conservation practices) may also influence yield potential.

Basic Recommendations

Establish credibility slowly but surely.

There is an essential need to establish consistency and reliability in reporting. While responsive to changing user requirements and increasing demands for information, there is an absolute mandate to strive toward standards of reporting and effective quality control mechanisms.

Basic Recommendations

Be proactive in demonstrating the usefulness of your products.

Always strive to improve the quality of the bulletin with new products and better representation of existing products.

Periodic user forums or surveys should be encouraged to maintain the necessary contact with the client of your bulletin.

Basic Recommendations

Training and education is an essential component.

This must involve both the providers and users of data and information. Both parties involved in the agrometeorological bulletin must be able to ‘speak’ and ‘understand’ the same technical language.

Basic Recommendations

Look to pool resources.

Human and financial resources are very often limited.

share ideas, exchange experiences, establish standard guidelines, and formulate recommendations for bulletin improvements.

With proper recognition for contributions and mutual access to the products, great strides can be achieved more rapidly by a concerted and coordinated effort.

KYENVU Kulabula

Atusa Uganda Met Kalangala

02:19 AM 17:02:12

Ekisera: 6am – 6pm

Okulabula: BEERA NGOMANYI

Omuyaga: GW’AMAANYI ENNYO

Embera y?obudde

ENKUBA N’OKUBWATUKA

KW’EGULU WANO

N’AWALI

Wokoma kulaba: WAKIGERO

All photos © C. de Wet Namisoke landing site, Bubeke, Kalangala district, February 2012

15

Roving Seminars

on Weather,

Climate and

Farmers

16 16

Seminar content is adapted to the local conditions of the country and regions

Roving seminars 1-2 day duration and bring

together farmers from a group of villages to a centralized location in any given region

Based on the success from Mali, raingages distributed to the farmers at each seminar.

The focal point of each country, with assistance from Mali, prepared agrometeorological advice that was provided to the farmers along with the raingauges.

Roving Seminars on Weather, Climate

and Farmers in West Africa

17 17

2009 Seminar - Mali Met Service Presentation

18 18

2009 Seminar – Farmers ask Questions

19 19

2009 Seminar – Demonstration of Raingauge

20

Distribution of Rainguages

to Nigerian Farmers

Partnerships

www.wmo.int

Thank you for your attention