Identifying user needs for weather and climate services to enhance resilience to climate shocks in sub-Saharan Africa

Nkiaka, Elias; Taylor, Andrea; Dougill, Andrew J.; Antwi-Agyei, Philip; Fournier, Nicolas; Bosire, Emily Nyaboke; Konte, Oumar; Lawal, Kamoru Abiodun; Mutai, Bethwel; Mwangi, Emmah; Ticehurst, Helen; Toure, Awa; Warnaars, Tanya ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5146-4946. 2019 Identifying user needs for weather and climate services to enhance resilience to climate shocks in sub-Saharan Africa. Environmental Research Letters, 14 (12), 123003. https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/ab4dfe

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Official URL: https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/ab4dfe

Abstract/Summary

The vulnerability of social-ecological systems in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) to climate variability and change means that there is an urgent need to better integrate weather and climate information into societal decision-making processes. Long-term climate adaptation in these regions has received increasing attention, with recent initiatives aiming to increase resilience to climate change at timescales of years to decades. Less focus has been given to weather and short-term climate information. However, users are principally interested in shorter timescales (hours to seasons) where actions can immediately reduce the impacts of severe weather events. Focusing on the priority sectors of agriculture and food security, water and disaster management, this paper uses a systematic literature review approach to analyse 61 empirical case studies drawn from academic literature and projects across SSA. We identify the main users of climate services and outline current practices and reported benefits. Barriers that impede the delivery and uptake of climate services are identified and potential strategies for overcoming them outlined based on the reporting of successful practices. Our findings show that greater capacity building of personnel working for National Meteorological and Hydrological Services and Agricultural Extension staff and reinforcing and sustaining collaboration between different stakeholders (climate scientists, hydrologists, extension workers, farmers and other user groups), are essential factors for improving the uptake and utility of weather and climate services to enhance resilience to climate shocks in SSA.

Item Type:	Publication - Article
Digital Object Identifier (DOI):	https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/ab4dfe
UKCEH and CEH Sections/Science Areas:	Hydro-climate Risks (Science Area 2017-)
ISSN:	1748-9326
Additional Information. Not used in RCUK Gateway to Research.:	Open Access paper - full text available via Official URL link.
Additional Keywords:	climate services, weather information, vulnerability, resilience, climate risk communication
NORA Subject Terms:	Meteorology and Climatology
Date made live:	28 Oct 2019 15:18 +0 (UTC)
URI:	https://nora.nerc.ac.uk/id/eprint/525488

Item Type:

Publication - Article

Digital Object Identifier (DOI):

https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/ab4dfe

UKCEH and CEH Sections/Science Areas:

Hydro-climate Risks (Science Area 2017-)

ISSN:

1748-9326

Additional Information. Not used in RCUK Gateway to Research.:

Open Access paper - full text available via Official URL link.

Additional Keywords:

climate services, weather information, vulnerability, resilience, climate risk communication