The Impact of Climate Information Services in Senegal
"Climate information in Senegal is now considered an agricultural input just like seeds, fertilizers and equipment, which are at the basis of production."
The CGIAR Research Program on Climate Change, Agriculture and Food Security (CCAFS) collaborated with the Senegalese National Meteorological Agency (ANACIM) to develop climate information (CI) services that are designed to be relevant to Senegal's farmers on a broad scale and to enhance the capacity of partners who are tasked to communicate CI to farmers. As of August 2015, seasonal forecasts were being transmitted nationwide through 82 rural community radio stations and SMS (text messaging), potentially reaching 7.4 million rural people across Senegal. According to organisers, farmers have been involved in every step of the process, helping meteorologists and other specialists package and communicate CI. This study investigates the number of farmers with access to CI in Senegal as well as the impact of the information on farmers' practices.
The country's strong dependence on rain-fed agriculture makes it highly vulnerable to climate change, and seasonal climate forecasts to inform farmers will be necessary to make better use of rainwater and to facilitate decision-making. Therefore, the pilot project, implemented in Kaffrine in 2011, was later expanded to Diourbel, Fatick, Louga, and Thies regions. By 2015, the project had scaled up to the rest of the country through a partnership with the Union des Radios Associatives et Communautaires du Sénégal (URACS), an association of 82 community-based radio stations.
CCAFS used a dialogue-centred, multi-disciplinary group model involving farmers, climatologists, agricultural scientists, extension agents, representatives of non-governmental organisations (NGOs), and the media. During the pilot, farmers explained to the scientists how they traditionally interpret natural signs in order to predict the onset of the rainy season. The scientists showed the farmers how their indigenous knowledge linked with the technical weather forecasts. Farmers were given the opportunity to indicate their specific CI needs as well as the way they would like to receive CI. Next, capacity enhancement workshops were organised in the different project areas to sensitise local stakeholders on the importance of CI in decision making and to familiarise local stakeholders with weather forecasting and the jargon used by forecasters.
Aware that seasonal forecasts must reach remote rural communities in time for farmers to make use of them, ANACIM produces CI during the rainy season and is responsible for transmitting it directly to the multidisciplinary working group (MWG), rural radio stations, the Rural Development Departmental Services (SDDR), and farmers. In addition, ANACIM organises a seminar at the beginning of each rainy season to inform farmers of the major trends. The seminar is also an opportunity to collect farmers' forecasts based on their traditional knowledge.
In 2014, a study was undertaken to confirm or deny the probability of the figures put forward by CCAFS (2 million CI users in 2013) and to analyse the use of this information, as well as the impact on farmers' practices and behaviour. The methodologies used included gathering information through interviews with relevant stakeholders, targeted surveys, mapping, and review of project reports.
One finding is that, while rural radio proved to be an important communication pathway for men, women often receive CI through personal contacts at strategic places such as local boreholes where they gather water every day. Farmers also play an active role in the dissemination of CI within their community. Through their network of social relationships, they facilitate access to CI for other farmers. Due to "very broad cellular coverage" even in rural areas, SMS is also used widely, which creates a multi-branching distribution chain amongst farmers and extension agents receiving CI. Instant information is usually distributed through this channel.
Through a combination of these different channels, in 2015, a total of 7.4 million rural people (not all farmers) - among which there are about 740,000 agricultural households - were potentially reached with climate information across all 14 administrative regions of Senegal, via 82 rural community radio stations and SMS.
"Receiving climate information is one thing, but putting it into practice is another. In the beginning, the project witnessed resistance from many farmers who were accustomed to basing their actions only on their empirical knowledge. However, the project's willingness to facilitate the integration of local knowledge in CI greatly helped to convince reluctant farmers. Today, farmers are no longer contented to wait for CI, but go in search of it."
Several recommendations are outlined, such as: involve more national radio stations to supplement community radio stations with low coverage radius and expand the local MWG for better representation of the various localities and stakeholders, particularly women.
CCAFS website, accessed October 26 2015. Image credit: J. Hansen/CCAFS
- Log in to post comments