Expanding the contribution of early warning to climate-resilient agricultural development in Africa
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2015-06Language
enType
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Coffey K, Menghestab H, Halperin M, Wamukoya G, Hansen J, Kinyangi J, Tesfaye Fantaye K. 2015.Expanding the contribution of early warning to climate-resilient agricultural development in Africa. CCAFS Working Paper no. 115. Copenhagen, Denmark: CGIAR Research Program on Climate Change, Agriculture and Food Security (CCAFS).
Permanent link to cite or share this item: https://hdl.handle.net/10568/66596
Abstract/Description
Extreme climate events can undermine agricultural and rural development progress. Even in years when
extreme events do not occur, the uncertainty that results from climate-related risk is an impediment to
sustainable intensification of agriculture and adoption of climate-smart agricultural production practices.
Systems that provide early warning of climate extremes can reduce the adverse impacts of such events – if
they are embedded in effective communication and linked to decision-making processes. However, there is a
general consensus that early warning systems are not meeting their current potential to provide decisionmakers
with timely information in a format that enables action. Recent failures to respond effectively to slowonset
extreme climate events – particularly drought – have generally been attributed to failures in decisionmaking
rather than failures in early warning. Therefore any investment in developing or improving early
warning systems should be coupled with investment in improving communication and decision-making
processes to maximize the benefit of early warning. In order to increase response, early warning systems must
also tailor information for a broader set of actors ranging from global to community levels. Many institutions
create early warning systems for their own operational purposes or share warnings broadly without regular
feedback from stakeholders. Making appropriate early warning information available to decision-makers at a
more local level can allow earlier, better targeted mitigation actions that may reduce long-term impacts of
climate shocks on livelihoods, and reduce the need for emergency assistance later. Such an approach would
require increased capacity at local levels and regular feedback to assure that the information provided is
keeping pace with local dynamics
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Subjects
CLIMATE SERVICES AND SAFETY NETS;Regions
AFRICACollections
- CCAFS Working Papers [317]