The project addressed the need to improve the co-joint use of climate forecasts and indigenous forecasts by farmers in Kakamega and Machakos Counties of Kenya. This is expected to improve adaptation to the effects of extreme climatic events which often lead to crop and livestock losses and livelihoods of the rural communities in the two areas.

This project was supported by a SERVIR-Eastern & Southern Africa Grant where the merit of the project revolved around use of earth observations and other geospatial data to provide solutions to climate related problems facing vulnerable communities. The project called for identification of the specific problems affecting communities, innovative ways to address them, and the approaches to sustainably come up with realistic outputs, datasets and benefits for long term planning and development

Scope and Objectives

The overall objective of this project was to strengthen community understanding and uptake of climate forecasts and interface these with indigenous knowledge systems in Kenya to promote agriculture adaptation to effects of Climate Change and Variability.

• Facilitate and participate in a joint process between climate scientists (forecasters), IK practitioners? and farmers from selected semi-arid and humid environments in Kenya to develop and co-produce a pilot climate information service that interfaces modern climate forecasting and farmers’ indigenous knowledge systems (IK) that can result in a better and innovative way of adapting to drought and other risks of climate change and variability by vulnerable communities
• Establish best practices by the farming communities, IK and modern climate scientists (from in situ and Earth observations and other tools) and share lessons with other farming communities and decision makers for further capacity development to strengthen resilience and sustainable adaptation to climate change and variability.
• Document and publish the outcomes locally and in peer reviewed journals for the public, local researchers, policy makers and the global community.