The weather forecast, information of diseases and pest control are widely available at the central level in Nepal but the access of farmers to such information is extremely limited. But such information can have a very crucial role in day-to-day work on agricultural farms. Such information, if promptly provided, farmers can save their product from damage from weather events, pests and diseases. Also, based on the available data and land suitability, agriculture pocket area for different products could be developed so that local farmers can intensify their production in those area. The relevance of timely communication of such information once again realized in the last October, one of the most important months in Nepal’s agricultural calendar, when unseasonal heavy rainfall followed by massive flooding damaged the harvested paddy in agriculture farm. The loss can be minimized through the effective and timely communication of weather forecast.

The system allows to collect data from different sources, like available climate data from different ministries, weather data from meteorological services and in situ information collected through the mobile application by local authorities or farmers, to feed into a climate model run in the system. The output can be near-real time information, that is distributed further on the web map for the local authorities or stakeholders and to farmers for example by SMS or with the help of NGOs/CBOs and farmers group working in the field. The produced outputs will then support local authorities and farmers in the decision making. At the local level, information will be shared with communities to understand the results of models by providing comprehensive information and training in local language. The authorities of the project municipality will organize awareness campaigns together with the local youth leaders and famers leaders & groups. Also local FM radios will be used for broadcasting information that are relevant especially to the local farmers for day-to-day agricultural activities. 

Objectives

The purpose of the project is to improve local farmers’ livelihood as well as uplift their economic conditions (economic resilient) by producing climate adaptive quality products from their agricultural farms. Also, it directs the farmers to adopt informed farming practices.

Project Site: Belaka Municipality, Udayapur, Province-01

Partner organization: Arbonaut

Supported by : ADPC