Third West and Central Africa Agricultural Science Week CORAF

1. Third West and Central Africa Agricultural Science WeekCORAF METEOROLOGICAL AND INDIGENOUS KNOWLEDGE-BASED FORECASTS FOR REDUCING POOR POPULATIONS VULNERABILITY TO CLIMATE CHANGE AND VARIABILITY Fréjus THOTO frejusthoto@gmail.com N’Djamena, May 2012

2. Plan • Introduction (challenges & objectives) • Agro-meteo info system • Mainstreaming indigenous knowledge • Results & Impacts • Conclusions F.T, Ndjamena-May 2012

3. Introduction (1/3) • Climate change and variability impacts are evident (IPCC, 2007) • Sub-saharan africa appears to be one of the most vulnerable zone in the world (Tornton et al., 2008) • Benin is experiencing considerable challenges attributed to climate change (floods, drougth, crops loss, etc.) (MEPN, 2002) F.T, Ndjamena-May 2012

4. Introduction (2/3) • Benin agriculture contributes up to 36% to GDP (SCRP, 2007) but is mainly rainfed • Therefore agriculture is highly dependent on climate that is changing (sensitive modification in seasons) • Urgent need: Setting up a climate information system providing agro-meteo info and tailored advices to farmers F.T, Ndjamena-May 2012

5. Introduction (3/3) • Thenthe IDRC-fundedproject « PARBCC » has been implemented to do so. • Objective: Providefarmerswithusefulclimateforecasts and derivedadvices for farm and climaterisks management • Location: Benin (35 municipalities) F.T, Ndjamena-May 2012

6. AgMI System

7. Mainstreaming indigenous knowledge • Groups surveyed: traditional leaders, farmers communities, very experienced producers and senior citizens who have knowledge and have experienced several weather events or climate risks since the 1940s. • Several natural indicators: moon and constellation movement, tree species and birds F.T, Ndjamena-May 2012

8. Mainstreaming indigenous knowledge Good rainy season coming • Someexamples • Star clusters to the East in May • Heavy rains between 25thJan & 5th Feb • Appearance of Erythrina senegalensis red flowers in August or September end of rainy season is close F.T, Ndjamena-May 2012

9. Mainstreaming indigenous knowledge Rainy season is close • High frequency of tucan songs between Feb. and Mar. • Comingof bulbucus ibis in villages Beginning of dry season Such indigenous knowledge is integrated in the analysis of scientific bulletin produced by the national committee

10. Results and impacts (1/3) • Knowledge generated • Early warning and agro-meteorological information system setting up methodology that is quite innovative in Benin • Use of weather data (primarily used for aerial navigation ) for adaptation to CC • Possibility to integrate indigenous knowledge with scientific forecasts F.T, Ndjamena-May 2012

11. Results and impacts (2/3) • Impacts on food security • Anticipating the harvest of mature crops to reduce the risk of flash flooding or delay the installation of crops usually sown in flood zones, limit losses due to excess rainfall; • Taking into account new crop calendars proposed by the project has to have better yields. • Sowing at good date might help farmers to avoid drought pockets, early cessation of rains and excessive rains F.T, Ndjamena-May 2012

12. Results and impacts (3/3) • Impacts on food security • 92% of farmers who receive agricultural information are convinced of their relevance and then plan their activities on them • 66%of these producers are willing to pay to receive such tailored agricultural information • Higher yields and higher incomes (10% to 80%) than do farmers not having access to climate info. F.T, Ndjamena-May 2012

13. Conclusions • Providing climate prediction info to farmers is a promising measure for climate change adaptation in rainfed-agriculture context • This experience has shown that indigenous knowledge on climate are very useful for scientific climate forecasting to make them more accurate and more useful to farmers F.T, Ndjamena-May 2012

14. THANKS FOR YOUR ATTENTION frejusthoto@gmail.com F.T, Ndjamena-May 2012