A Project Launches To Assist Farmers In Three Regions To Fight Against Effects Of Climate Change Through Use Of Weather Information -

By Senior Reporter VALENTINE OFORO

“Among others, the project seeks to see the youth and women farmers who’re engaging into cultivation of different economic crops into the three regions are making brave use of the TMA’s weather information to cheat effects of climate change,”

THE Tanzania Data Lab (dLab) in cooperation with the University of Dar es Salaam (UDSM) have launched a jointly project to assist farmers in the three regions of Dodoma, Manyara and Pemba to combat negative effects of climate change.

Set to impact the youth and women farmers in the relevant regions, the two years initiative will focus to train the beneficiary farmer how to make fruitful use of the weather information and data from the Tanzania Metrological Authority (TMA) to battle against effects of climate change.

Speaking over the weekend during launching of the project in Dodoma Capital City, Dr Godfrey Justo, a senior researcher of the agricultural data- based project from UDSM expressed that the initiative focuses to assist the farmers to improve their production and productivity.

“Among others, this project seeks to see the youth and women farmers who’re engaging into cultivation of different economic crops into the three regions are making brave use of the TMA’s weather information to cheat effects of climate change,” he said.

He added, research have proved that majority of farmers across the country are experiencing huge crop loss due to severe effects of climate change, added: “Reliable access and effective use of annual climate reports will play vital role to enable the farmers to harvest bumper amid climate change,”

Through the said weather reports and statistics, Dr Justo observed that the farmers will stand professional chances to be aware over the amount of seasonal rains, as well as drought spells.

” With such useful information, the farmers will be on a safe side to decide the seed varieties to be used,” he added.

And the agricultural pundits added that climate change has a tendency to alter the seasons and the amount of rain, by raining above average or below average, so the availability of weather information is important for farmers to prepare themselves to face the situation.

Speaking for his part, Assistant Director of Economic and Production Sectors, the President Office, Regional Administrations and Local Governments, Eng Enock Nyanda said the government will continue to work in cooperation with different stakeholders to create enabling environmental towards the farmers.

” We’re thankful to dLab for initiating this timely project which we remain optimistic that it will bring about meaningful impact upon completion,” he insisted.

He assured that the government, through the ministry of agriculture and the TMA will work in sync to ensure the project is implemented to fetch the intended results.

For his side, the Executive Director of the Community Support Initiatives Tanzania (COSITA), Patrice Gwasma, said the Manyara- based non-governmental organization (NGO) was working tirelessly to empower the farmers in the region to fight against effects of climate change.

Tanzania Data Lab (dLab) is a world class data and innovation lab that harnesses the potential of the data revolution and the fourth industrial revolution in solving local, regional, and global sustainable development challenges through data and innovation.

dLab embraces a systems approach in suffusing data driven decision making and policy making by strengthening data policies, practice and use, and leverage data driven innovation and data partnerships to improve the lives of people.