For farmers across the globe, access to reliable weather and climate data is critical in adapting to a new normal.
“Will there be rain? I can’t tell. People used to come to me for advice, but now I tell them that I am also wondering what is happening,” says Clement Mangi, a traditional weather forecaster and farmer from Kenya.
He uses traditional forecasting methods passed down for generations. But in recent years, most of the things that used to be definite signs of imminent rainfall are no longer reliable.
Eighty percent of food produced across many communities in Africa comes from small-scale farmers like Mangi. This sector is highly vulnerable to extreme weather. While the continent is responsible for only a fraction of global greenhouse emissions, it is heavily affected by climate change.
After five failed rainfall seasons, communities in the Horn of Africa were hit by what became known as the worst drought in 40 years, between late 2020 and early 2023. Seven million children under the age of five became malnourished and urgently needed nutrition assistance across Ethiopia, Kenya and Somalia.
While climate change is listed as a leading cause of the rise in global hunger, there are big gaps in weather observations and early warning services. Information that would help local farmers better prepare themselves for extreme weather and adapt their farming to secure a good harvest, is missing.
In Kenya, some people are working hard to change that.
Clement Mangi walks across his dry maize fields. ‘We are concerned because we are starving. All of what I have planted is dead. Many animals have died. We ask ourselves what we have done wrong.’ [Ingebjorg Karstad/NRC]Tidorah Lukila is a volunteer rain gauge reader for the Kenya Meteorological Department. Every day at 9am, Tidorah checks her rain gauge. If it has rained, she informs the local department the same day and once a month she sends her full log report. [Ingebjorg Karstad/NRC]Tidorah uses a large garden syringe to measure rainfall from a small plastic container placed in her garden. She is part of an important mission to strengthen the climate and weather data for East Africa. [Ingebjorg Karstad/NRC]Christopher Mungai, a meteorological technician at the Kenya Meteorological Department in Taita Taveta plots weather data into a digital global system for the World Meteorological Organization. [Ingebjorg Karstad/NRC]Mary Githingi at the Kenyan Meteorological Department in Nairobi is closely following up initiatives to strengthen climate services across Kenya. The department receives forecasts from ICPAC, which is then translated to national and local forecasts. [Ingebjorg Karstad/NRC]People are given advice depending on the forecast, for instance on planting alternative crops that are more resilient to drought and suitable for the climate. Good alternatives include mung beans, locally known as green grams, groundnuts, macadamia trees and hay. [Ingebjorg Karstad/NRC]Journalist Linda Akoth presents the daily weather at her morning show at Sifa radio station in the town of Voi, Taita Taveta. She receives the forecasts directly on her phone from the Kenya Meteorological Department. [Ingebjorg Karstad/NRC]Radio is an important source for information in Kenya. Climate information is often technical. To help journalists better understand the information, the regional climate centre has trained more than 30 journalists across Uganda, Ethiopia and Kenya to report on weather and climate in an effective and easy way for communities. [Ingebjorg Karstad/NRC]Farmer Jonnes Ellijah Mlegwah receives information from the Kenya Meteorological Department through a WhatsApp group and the radio. He is responsible for sharing information weekly with farmers in a farmer field school. There they also discuss the advisories given and how to adapt their farming. [Ingebjorg Karstad/NRC]Jonnes has made significant changes to the way he works to adapt to climate change. In addition to learning about various crops, he also makes use of alternative composting methods, natural pesticides and irrigation methods to save water. [Ingebjorg Karstad/NRC]The traditional forecaster, Clement Mangi, at his home in Taita Taveta. In Kenya, maize is a staple food and perceived as a safe crop. Although, there are drought-resilient maize varieties, most farmers continue to plant the regular type – despite several seasons of underperformance. [Ingebjorg Karstad/NRC]
