As African farmers are faced with the most extremes of changing climate, weather information and farming advice is more important than ever.
The delivery of timely weather information combined with practical farming advice has become an increasingly important service provided by Self Help Africa, as the organisation helps households make better-informed decisions about when to plant, irrigate, fertilise and harvest their crops.
In regions where livelihoods depend heavily on rainfall, and where changing climate has made weather more unpredictable, reliable early warning information on weather patterns can significantly reduce the risks posed by droughts, floods and other extreme weather events.
Delivering timely information is an effective way to strengthen community resilience and food security. By providing farmers with knowledge they can act on, vulnerable households can adapt to climate change, increase yields and safeguard natural resources.
In Ethiopia, a programme of ‘Anticipatory Action’ (AA) is providing weather advice and information to more than 63,000 households through a network of 2,400 Village Economic and Social Associations (VESAs).
The country team work in collaboration with the Ethiopian Meteorological Institution (EMI), using platforms including SMS and Telegram, as well as formal e-mails and community radio networks, to get relevant weather information and farming advice to landowners.
Self Help Africa field staff meet regularly with Government Agricultural Extension staff and Early Warning and Disaster Risk Management (DRM) Offices to collaborate and coordinate information sharing to farming communities.
Additionally, field agents physically provide ‘last mile’ information that translates complex meteorological information into plain, action-oriented advice – such as instruction on when to clear drainage channels, or when to plant-short cycle crop varieties.
Head of Programmes in Ethiopia, Theodros Eshetu says that providing weather information helps farmers to make better planting and harvesting decisions, and can protect crops, livestock and household incomes by reducing losses from drought and other extreme weather.