ADDIS ABABA– Bundling the utilization of digital agro-advisories and technologies remains important to overcome the effects of the climate crisis, a principal scientist said.
Approached by The Ethiopian Herald, a Scientist at the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center Kindie Tesfaye (PhD) said that user centric bundled climate information service and agricultural advisories help the farming community to make informed decisions. Such activities would help better manage farm risks and enhance productivity and income as well as ensure food security.
The scientist further noted that the Accelerating Impacts of CGIAR Climate Research for Africa (AICCRA) and other relevant actors have been contributing to change the livelihoods of the rural community through globally proven climate based research adaptation. Such initiatives would help the farming community to resist the impact of climate challenges.
“We have been working with a digital platform ‘LERSHA’ to deliver integrated data and information and provide various services to smallholder farmers. Besides, this digital platform gives farmers easy access to climate informed services and agro advisories.”
Moreover, Kindiementioned the implementation of digital agro advisory services in 51 districts to ensure the farming community’s digital literacy. As climate change is adversely affecting the smallholder farmers, they are working to digitize the agricultural system and deploying capacity development activities via pilot projects. Hence, it managed to benefit over 130,000 people in 151 districts of Amhara, Oromia and SNNPS in the previous year.
“We have provided technical and human capacity building training for some 5,000 development agents, 10,000 farmers and 2,000 experts from 51 districts. In Ethiopia, the demand for actionable climate information and tools is growing in response to the increased frequency and severity of weather and climate impacts and the changing nature of the climate.
So far, the project has been supporting EMI in the co-development and implementation of the National Framework for Climate Services to complete the value chain for climate services, the expert remarked.
Ethiopia is among the six African countries implementing the project that helps manage the risks of climate variability and climate change through developing and incorporating science-based climate information on the global, regional and national scale, it was learned.
BY ASHENAFI ANIMUT
The Ethiopian Herald November 5/2023
