User Needs for Weather and Climate Information: 2019 NCEI Users’ Conference

Brewer, Michael J.; Hollingshead, Annette; Dissen, Jenny; Jones, Najimah; Webster, Laura F.

doi:10.1175/bams-d-19-0323.1

Cited by 1 publication

(1 citation statement)

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“…Several examples on this area can be cited from the United States (Brewer et al, 2020), Europe (Soares et al, 2018;Damm et al, 2019;Kusunose et al, 2019), China (Golding et al, 2017), Sub-Saharan Africa (Jones et al, 2015;Singh et al, 2018;Nkiaka et al, 2019), and Australia among other regions (Tarhule and Lamb, 2003;Mase and Prokopy, 2014;Nalau et al, 2017;Williamson et al, 2017). Brewer et al (2020) and Williamson et al (2017) opine that users' perceptions are important as a guide to science, research, innovation, and capacity and have the capabilities of developing high-quality weather products that lead to improved services, access, and stewardship. Further, users' perceptions enable the identification of constraints to the use of weather information across diverse user attributes such as gender and socioeconomic status where, for instance, women are ignored from most farm decisions (Carr et al, 2016;Snorek et al, 2018).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Understanding the Role of User Needs and Perceptions Related to Sub-Seasonal and Seasonal Forecasts on Farmers' Decisions in Kenya: A Systematic Review

et al. 2021

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One major challenge facing farmers and other end users of weather and climate information (WCI) in Kenya is the linkage between their perceptions, needs, and engagements with producers of the information. This is highlighted by increased interest in understanding the constraints on appropriate use of weather information by farmers in decision-making. The choice between sub-seasonal and seasonal forecasts can enable better decisions by farmers if the forecast information is reliable and integrated through a coproduction process. This study analyzes user needs and perceptions of crop farmers, pastoralists, and agro-pastoralists in relation to sub-seasonal and seasonal forecasts for five counties in Kenya. A total of 258 peer-reviewed articles and gray literature were systematically analyzed using Search, Appraisal, Synthesis and Analysis (SALSA) to understand how the needs and perceptions of users of WCI shaped access and use in decision-making. The study also evaluated factors influencing use and uptake of sub-seasonal and seasonal forecasts as well as the barriers to use. Results show that farmers' perceptions shaped the choice of WCI that is used and also highlight how sub-seasonal and seasonal forecasts were used for diverse applications. Gender, availability of resources, access, and mode of communication were key factors influencing the use of seasonal forecasts. For example, access to seasonal forecasts of farmers in drier counties enabled them to manage floods and reduce risk. One lesson learned was that farmers combined WCI with other coping practices such as agronomic practices and water efficiency management. Despite a number of challenges by forecast users such as insufficient resources and lack of access to information, there is potential to improve forecasts according to user needs through a coproduction process. This study recommends stakeholder engagements with producers in the development and evaluation of forecast products and communication pathways to improve uptake and use of forecasts in decision-making.

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