How climate information services can help pastoralists in the Horn of Africa

The policy brief “How climate information services (CIS) can help pastoralists in the Horn of Africa” (2024, 11pp) by Claire Bedelian, published by SPARC (Supporting Pastoralism and Agriculture in Recurrent and Protracted Crises), explores the challenges pastoralists face when using climate information services (CIS). Despite the growing availability of CIS, their use remains limited among pastoralists in the Horn of Africa. How can CIS be made more relevant and accessible to them? The policy brief reviews the context of CIS for pastoralists in the region and draws on case studies from Ethiopia and Kenya of CIS initiatives in pastoral areas. It looks at the specific needs of pastoralists for climate information, the barriers they face to use such information, and how to develop and deliver CIS tailored for pastoralists.

Key findings:

Pastoralists face barriers to access and use CIS, including mobility, remoteness, weak telecommunications infrastructure, low mobile phone ownership, low literacy and gender disparities;
Pastoralists will use climate information if, and when, it is timely, localised, context-specific, includes traditional knowledge and is shared through trusted social networks;
Digital services may not always effectively reach pastoralists; combining digital tools with channels pastoralists already use is beneficial;
Women have different needs than men for climate information, have less access to mobile phones and use different channels to receive information.

The results emphasise several key considerations when designing and delivering tailored CIS for pastoralists:

Better understanding is needed of the local context, social networks, language, infrastructure, technology and literacy levels;
Using CIS is only one way pastoralists adapt to climate change; CIS should be integrated into their broader adaptation strategies;
Pastoralists’ access to land, inputs and finance needs to be stronger if they are to make good use of climate information;
Specific measures are needed to help women pastoralists access and use CIS.

Posted on 11 August 2024 in Pastoralism & Climate Change, Pastoralism & Services, Pastoralism, Gender & Youth